SpaceX has restricted access of Ukrainian drones to the Starlink network
SpaceX has taken measures to prevent servicemen of the Armed Forces from using Starlink satellite internet to control drones, said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynn Shotwell.
This was reported by European Pravda with reference to Reuters, Censor.NET informs.
According to Shotwell, the Ukrainian military has used Starlink to control drones, albeit unintentionally. She noted that the system cannot be used as a weapon.
Later, in a conversation with journalists, Shotwell referred to reports that the Ukrainian military used the Starlink service to control drones.
Ukraine effectively uses unmanned aerial vehicles to detect enemy positions, conduct long-range fire, and drop bombs.
"There are things we can do to limit their ability to do that," she said, referring to Starlink's use of drones. "There are things we can do and are already doing," she added.
The use of Starlink drones is outside the scope of the agreement SpaceX has with the Ukrainian government, Shotwell said, adding that the contract was intended for humanitarian purposes, such as providing broadband internet to hospitals, banks and families affected by the Russian invasion.
"We know the military uses them for communications, and that's fine," she said. "But we never wanted them to use it offensively."
