Starlink in the Russo-Ukrainian War

In February 2022, two days after Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine requested American aerospace company SpaceX to activate their Starlink satellite internet service in the country to replace internet and communication networks degraded or destroyed during the war. Starlink has since been used by Ukrainian civilians, government and military. The satellite service has served for humanitarian purposes, as well as defense and attacks on Russian positions. Initially, SpaceX provided and funded Starlink services to Ukraine largely on their own. As of June 2023 Starlink expenses for Ukraine are covered by the US Department of Defense through a contract with SpaceX. SpaceX executives have declined to extend Starlink availability to Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine like Crimea. This was criticized by Ukraine as it prevented them from carrying out military operations in those areas. In Russia, the use of Starlink to attack Russian targets has been criticized by government officials. Russia's military has repeatedly tried to disrupt Starlink services in Ukraine and the Russian military has reportedly also used Starlink with smuggled terminals. Through his company SpaceX and division Starlink, Elon Musk's involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian War has been significant, and met with concerns.