Starlink
The services of Starlink were granted to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for by Elon Musk for free in the first half of 2022. In October 2022 Musk posted a peace proposal on Twitter that read:
| Ukraine-Russia Peace:
- Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people. - Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake). - Water supply to Crimea assured. - Ukraine remains neutral. |
Ukrainian Ambassador Andrij Melnyk responded:
| No Ukrainian will EVER buy your f***ing tesla crap. F*** off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk |
Musk then announced it was costing him $20 million a month to provide the Starlink service and cut it off, saying either NATO, the Pentagon, or Zelensky regime should pick up the cost. Musk was immediately added to the Ukrainian Nazi kill list. However, Musk's aerospace deals with the Pentagon are quite lucrative, the service was restored, and his name removed from the kill list.
Musk evidentially wasn't aware of the kill list until Canadian journalist Eva K Bartlett alerted him to it via Twitter, and Musk asked her for a url. Wikipedia Ukrinazibots immediately set upon Bartlett. Bartlett had been reporting on the kill list since 2019, when her name was added. Bartlett said in September 2022, "Returning to the issue of Myrotvorets [the so-called "Peacemaker" kill list), it’s absolutely appalling that a database like this exists, openly calling for the murders of people like myself, yourselves, 327 children, simply because we are speaking about Ukraine’s war crimes and we’re speaking about the corruption within Ukraine. This list presents a very real threat to Ukrainians themselves, not only to journalists and to people who are speaking out, but to Ukrainians within Ukraine proper. Many of these Ukrainians have already been disappeared or killed."[1]
Electronic warfare
- See also: Electronic warfare
Russia's advanced Kalinka system emerged as a potential game-changer in the technological warfare against Ukraine's critical Starlink communications. Developed by the Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies, this sophisticated monitoring technology threatened to disrupt crucial military communication networks that have been vital to Ukrainian operations.
With the ability to detect Starlink terminals up to fifteen kilometers away, Kalinka represents a significant strategic advancement that would fundamentally alter battlefield communication dynamics. Ukrainian forces faced a critical challenge to their satellite-based communication infrastructure, forcing a complete re-evaluation of their technological approach.
The breakthrough highlights the increasingly complex technological dimensions of modern warfare, where communication systems can become decisive strategic assets. The deployment of Kalinka signaled a new escalation in Russia's technological counter-strategies, targeting the communication lifeline that supported Ukrainian military resilience.
