(Credit: Global Images Ukraine/Contributor via Getty Images)
With SpaceX's help, the US Department of Defense says it has stopped Russian troops in Ukraine from using Starlink—for now.
"At this time we have successfully countered Russian use, but I am certain Russia will continue to try and find ways to exploit Starlink and other commercial communications systems," John Plumb, the Pentagon's assistant secretary of defense for space policy, tells Bloomberg.
"It will continue to be a problem," Plumb concedes, adding: "I think we've wrapped our heads around it and found good solutions with both Starlink and Ukraine."
The US has been working with Ukraine's government and SpaceX to stop Russia from using Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service as its invasion of Ukraine continues.
In February, Ukraine sounded the alarms on Russia's illicit use of Starlink. It then tried to offer SpaceX some kind of "algorithm" that would supposedly stop Russian military use, but Russian forces managed to keep buying Starlink dishes through third-party, black-market websites for months afterward. Plumb didn't state whether Ukraine's algorithm was an effective solution or not.
Despite the Russian military's Starlink use, it has, ironically, repeatedly threatened to attack the SpaceX-powered internet service, citing US surveillance as a primary concern.
Ukraine's military has been using Starlink since Russia invaded in 2022. Over 42,000 Starlink dishes are also being used by Ukrainian hospitals, aid groups, and businesses, The New York Times previously reported.
Plumb applauded SpaceX's collaboration with the Pentagon. "To me, they're a very reliable partner," Plumb says. "They are also 'innovating at speed,' providing services that are useful to the Defense Department."