Elon Musk might be the man behind Tesla -- and a host of other companies -- but in the Ukraine, he's responsible for providing more than just technological gadgets. When he chooses to, he can allow the Ukrainian war effort to proceed.
And when he chooses not to, he can curtail it.
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His power in Ukraine's military strategy comes courtesy of Starlink, the satellite internet offshoot of his rocket company SpaceX, which has been launching Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit since 2019.
There are currently more than 4,500 Starlink satellites in orbit over the planet, though the company plans on sending as many as 40,000. And these satellites, often the only way for people in a war zone to get internet access, have been used in Ukraine for intelligence gathering and drone strike coordination.
Despite its military importance, SpaceX is a private company. And Musk has sole control over the network.
On several occasions, Musk turned off certain Starlink terminals in Ukraine depending on the country's apparent goals, according to New York Times sources. He refused Ukraine's request to activate Starlink near Crimea last year. He turned off about 1,300 Starlink terminals when the Ukrainian government was unable to pay the $2,500 monthly fee for each terminal.
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Starlink has also restricted access in certain areas along the front lines as Ukrainian soldiers fought to retake lost territory.
“Without Starlink, we cannot fly, we cannot communicate,” an unnamed Ukrainian commander told the Times. And while Musk's actions have gone against "U.S. foreign policy in the middle of a war," by providing Starlink to the country at all, officials say he has saved lives.
“The huge number of lives that Starlink has helped save can be measured in the thousands,” the country's digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov told the Times. “This is one of the fundamental components of our success."
"SpaceX and Elon Musk have shown through their deeds whose side they are actually on."
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ukrainian officials remain concerned with Musk's control over the "blood of our entire communication infrastructure," Federov said. The government reached out to other satellite internet providers, who reportedly acknowledged that they cannot match Starlink's reach.
Musk has been outspoken about the ongoing war for months. He was heavily criticized for proposing a "peace plan" on Twitter that seemed in line with Russian demands.
"I still very much support Ukraine, but am convinced that massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world," he said at the time.
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