By AFP
WASHINGTON: A shipment of terminals for Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has arrived in Ukraine after one of its ministers personally appealed to the billionaire in the face of Russia’s invasion.
The gear could help provide internet in areas where access has been hit due to the assault unleashed by President Vladimir Putin on Russia’s neighbor a week ago.
“Starlink – here. Thanks @elonmusk,” Ukraine’s digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted Monday with a picture of a truck loaded with Starlink terminals.
Starlink — here. Thanks, @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/dZbaYqWYCf
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 28, 2022
“You are most welcome,” the SpaceX founder tweeted in response.
Fedorov urged Musk to provide Starlink services to Ukraine days after the invasion began last week, tweeting “While you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people.”
Web monitoring group NetBlocks has reported a series of significant disruptions to internet service in Ukraine after the Russian invasion began.
Starlink operates a constellation of more than 2,000 satellites that aim to provide internet access across the planet.
The company on Friday launched a further 50 Starlink satellites and many more are slated to be put into Earth’s orbit.
