The media learned about the Pentagon’s plans to purchase Starlink terminals for Ukraine from SpaceX

The US Department of Defense has agreed to buy Starlink satellite terminals and the services of American billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, writes Bloomberg, citing a Pentagon statement.

“Satellite communications are a vital link in Ukraine’s overall communications network, and the ministry is contracting with Starlink to provide this type of service,” the statement said.

Details of the agreement are not disclosed for security reasons. As Bloomberg notes, the terminals are likely to be purchased as part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides for measures to meet the long-term needs of Kyiv. The Pentagon announced plans to provide “terminals and satellite communications services” under this program as early as December last year, without specifying who would receive the contract.

As Bloomberg recalls, Musk publicly announced last fall that he would not continue to supply terminals for Ukraine for free (later he promised to continue paying for supplies), and also proposed his own scenario for resolving the conflict. At the same time, the publication draws attention to the fact that SpaceX has developed strong ties in the Pentagon – the company has won contracts to launch the most important satellites for US national security.

According to Musk, Starlink has been operating in Ukraine since the end of February 2022 after Russia launched a special operation. The network is designed to provide broadband Internet access, the orbital constellation of the system has more than 2300 satellites. According to the latest data, at the end of 2022. Kyiv received about 24,000 Starlink terminals. Earlier it was said that about 10,000 terminals could still be delivered to Ukraine.

In February 2023, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned that civilian infrastructure in space used by the US and its allies for military purposes during the conflict in Ukraine could become a legitimate target for retaliation. Musk himself said that he would not allow the conflict to escalate over Starlink.