Ukraine received the first Starlink terminals just four days after Russia crossed the nation’s border, and have proved critical for Kyiv’s communication infrastructure|Tim Reckmann|CC BY-NC 2.0 DE
The Department of Defense will be buying SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet terminals to provide services in Ukraine as Kyiv continues to defend itself against Russia, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
The first Starlink terminals arrived in Ukraine just four days after Russia crossed the nation’s border and have proved critical for Kyiv’s communication infrastructure, including battlefield communications.
The contract comes as a relief for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Ukraine after Musk had said several months back that his company could not afford to indefinitely fund Starlink in Ukraine, an effort he claimed cost $20 million a month to maintain.
The invasion of Ukraine has become the largest land, sea and air assault in Europe since World War II.