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Elon Musk’s SpaceX played a significant role in providing communication infrastructure in Ukraine during the conflict with Russia in 2012. The Ukrainian government sought solutions to counter cyberattacks on its digital infrastructure. Starlink, a satellite-based internet system developed by SpaceX, was chosen as a potential solution.

The devices were tripod-mounted dishes that connected to a network of satellites. Their limited range proved advantageous as it made it difficult for Russia to completely block Ukrainian communications. Thousands of Starlink equipment pieces were transferred to Ukraine in the months that followed.

Initially, Elon Musk showed unquestionable support for Ukraine. However, as time passed, SpaceX began to question the cost of further supporting Ukraine. The director of government sales at SpaceX stated to the Pentagon that they were unable to donate more terminals or fund existing ones indefinitely.

Elon Musk also expressed concerns about his technology being used for warfare. He even expressed support for Vladimir Putin and called for negotiations at a conference in Aspen. Additionally, he proposed his own peace plan on Twitter, which included redrawing Ukraine’s borders and giving Russia control of Crimea. However, the majority of respondents opposed Musk’s idea.

The consequences of SpaceX’s involvement became evident during the conflict. Ukrainian troops advancing in the south suddenly lost communication, isolating units and causing chaos. The outage affected units in various cities, and it was believed that SpaceX had interrupted communication through geofencing.

To resolve the situation, meetings were held, but SpaceX’s role created unusual challenges. The Pentagon had to reach a contractual agreement with SpaceX to ensure continuity of services. Former US Deputy Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl played a key role in persuading Musk not to turn off Starlink in Ukraine. Musk was initially concerned that Starlink’s involvement was seen as enabling the Ukrainian war effort.

Eventually, Elon Musk agreed to give more time to the Pentagon and dropped his threats to stop the service. In June of the following year, the US Department of Defense announced that an agreement had been reached with SpaceX.

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