Russia has issued a veiled threat to “retaliate” against SpaceX’s satellite internet system Starlink for aiding the Ukrainian military
A Russian representative named Konstantin Vorontsov issued the warning last week at a United Nations working group meeting on reducing space threats.
Vorontsov—who was reportedly a former acting Deputy Director of Russia’s Foreign Ministry Department—didn’t name SpaceX or Starlink by name. But he noted: “We would like to underline an extremely dangerous trend that goes beyond the harmless use of outer space technologies and has become apparent during the events in Ukraine. Namely, the use by the United States and its allies of the elements of civilian, including commercial, infrastructure in outer space for military purposes,” according to the unofficial translation of his statement. (The original Russian-language statement can be found here.)
Vorontsov then issued his veiled threat by saying: “It seems like our colleagues do not realize that such actions in fact constitute indirect involvement in military conflicts. Quasi-civilian infrastructure may become a legitimate target for retaliation.”
“At the very least, this provocative use of civilian satellites is questionable under the Outer Space Treaty, which provides for the exclusively peaceful use of outer space, and must be strongly condemned by the international community,” he added.
The statement from Russia seems to have caught the attention of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. On Friday, he tweeted out: “Starlink is meant for peaceful use only.”
SpaceX has supplied over 12,000 Starlink dishes to Ukraine to help keep the country online during its war with Russia. The system is delivering high-speed broadband to many civilian areas across the country, including hospitals, residences, and businesses. However, it’s no secret that the Ukrainian military has also been using Starlink to send encrypted messages and to control drones that can attack Russian forces.
“I want to say one thing: Elon Musk’s Starlink is what changed the war in Ukraine’s favor,” one Ukrainian solider told journalist David Patrikarakos back in April.
How serious Russia is about attacking Starlink remains unclear. But in November, the Kremlin tested an anti-satellite missile, which destroyed one of the country’s own defunct satellites. The impact resulted in thousands of pieces of debris across Earth’s orbit, posing a danger to anything in their path. In response, the US condemned Russia for the missile test, saying the country was endangering space for all. Since then, SpaceX’s own Starlink satellites have had to dodge the debris field numerous times.
It's also possible the Kremlin has been trying to hack Starlink. The US and its allies have already blamed the Russian government for launching a February cyberattack that temporarily took down internet services at rival satellite provider Viasat.
Russia's ally, China, also has concerns about Starlink. Back in April, a group of Chinese researchers affiliated with the country's defense industry, urged China to develop ways to disrupt and destroy Starlink.