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The Economic Times
The Economic Times
National

Can a private company switch off a country’s battlefield communications? The Starlink-Ukraine crisis exposes a new vulnerability in modern warfare

Starlink Starshield Ukraine SpaceX Satellites CNBC Elon Musk Drone Internet United States

The reliance on SpaceX satellites from Ukraine has led to the emergence of one very troubling question – Who controls the communications networks which are increasingly being used by modern armies? The issue regarding the restrictions imposed on Starlink and Starshield has highlighted the danger of being dependent on systems which are controlled not only privately but also from Washington, at least partly. According to CNBC’s coverage on Thursday, the Ukrainian authorities claimed that the restrictions imposed on satellite communications have impeded military operations amid the intensifying Russian attacks on Kyiv.

Moreover, the row led to posing questions about who should be held responsible for the division of duties between SpaceX’s CEO, Elon Musk, and US authorities who were overseeing the satellite network.

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