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Allegedly used by Russian forces in Ukraine SpaceX’s Starlink stations To gain access to the Internet during an ongoing war that has seen hundreds of thousands of casualties on each side. Now, House Democrats are finally asking SpaceX leadership tough questions about how this happened, according to an open letter published Thursday.
The letter to SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwen Shotwell from some top House Democrats explains that Access high-speed satellite Internet from Starlink They are considered essential for Ukraine’s continued ability to fight against the Russian invasion, which first began in February 2022.
the A message from the DemocratsLed by Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Rep. Robert Garcia of California, it stresses that Russia’s use of Starlink technology “would likely violate U.S. sanctions and export controls.”
the Wall Street Journal He was first to report on February 15 that Russian forces have been using Starlink Internet for a “very long time,” according to Ukrainian Lieutenant General Kirylo Budanov.
Russia is believed to obtain Starlink terminals from black market sellers, sometimes posing as German device manufacturers, according to magazineBut SpaceX leaders presumably have insight into who and how these stations could be used by illicit Russian actors. For example, Musk shut down Starlink access to Ukrainian-controlled devices in Crimea Early in the warOstensibly to stop the “escalation” of the conflict.
“It is alarming that Russia may obtain your technology and use it to coordinate attacks against Ukrainian forces in illegally occupied areas of eastern and southern Ukraine, which would constitute a violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls,” the Democrats wrote in the new letter.
The letter even quotes SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who previously said: “[t]To our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia. But Democrats point out that the Ukrainian military says Russia’s use of Starlink is “systematic,” raising questions about Stalink’s culpability in all of this.
“We are concerned that adequate guardrails and policies are not in place to ensure Russia does not illegally obtain or use your technology,” the letter warns.
The letter ends with seven questions for SpaceX about Starlink and Russia’s use of satellite technology:
- How many reports or complaints has SpaceX received regarding the possible illegal acquisition, trade, or use of Starlink terminals, including Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine? How many reports or complaints has SpaceX examined?
- How does SpaceX evaluate, review or evaluate reports or complaints regarding the potential illegal acquisition, trade or use of Starlink terminals, including in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine?
- What guidelines and/or policies does SpaceX have in place to prevent illegal acquisition, trade, or use of Starlink terminals?
- What guidelines and/or policies does SpaceX follow if it determines that an actor has illegally acquired, traded, or used Starlink terminals?
- What actions has SpaceX taken to ensure Starlink users comply with US sanctions and export control laws, including US sanctions and export controls related to Russia?
- What actions has SpaceX taken or considered taking to eliminate existing or potential vulnerabilities that actors, such as Russia, could exploit to illicitly acquire, trade, or use Starlink terminals, including in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine?
- How do SpaceX and its subdivisions work with the Departments of Justice, Commerce, and/or Treasury to prevent the illicit acquisition, trade, or use of satellite terminals, including in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine?
Democrats have given SpaceX until March 20 to respond. SpaceX did not immediately respond to emailed questions Thursday afternoon. We will update this post if we hear back.
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