Russia deploying Starlink in Ukraine

[–] eran_morad@lemmy.world 119 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Musk is a cancer on humanity.

[–] kemsat@lemmy.world 48 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The real cancer is the capitalism that birthed him.

[–] abbenm@lemmy.ml 17 points 9 months ago (2 children)

It can be both - a terrible amoral system that concentrates wealth to the point that major world events are driven by wildcard personalities of rich idiots. And then, the rich idiots themselves.

[–] firewood010@lemmy.zip 2 points 9 months ago

Wildcard personalities. A dystopia I have never thought of.

[–] LopensLeftArm@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 months ago

Bullseye.

[–] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 95 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I wonder if he will shut them down to preserve lives.

[+] justdoitlater@lemmy.world 94 points 9 months ago (5 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] wildncrazyguy@kbin.social 19 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I mean, I’m not a Musk fan in the least, but the article does say that the receivers are being sold through an intermediary in Dubai, perhaps unbeknownst to Musk and SpaceX.

[–] bisby@lemmy.world 90 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Because of how starlink works, they have to aim satellites specifically at areas for data to flow. They have the ability to turn regions on and off (ie, satellites over China).

They know exactly where the transceivers are and based on movement patterns, probably which side they are on.

Unless he is feeding that position data to the Ukrainian military, he knows exactly who is using them and letting it happen. He didnt sell them the dishes, but he lets them be used.

[–] takeda@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Are you saying there is no authentication whatsoever to use it and anyone with the receiver in Ukraine can just use it?

[–] creesco@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I don't have starlink nor used it, but if it's anything like other commercial sat internet providers, you register your modem's MAC address or other identifier with the satellite operator and that basically enables you for transmission. It could be that these modems were already authorized for transmission before resale to Russia. You can buy starlink modems in big box stores now so I'm sure the transmission process is automated as well.

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@kbin.social 11 points 9 months ago (1 children)

That is what's happening.

SpaceX knows which satellites were sold to the Ukrainian government though and could apply additional filtering. That's the easiest first step.

To prevent Ukrainian dishes from falling into Russian hands you'd also need some sort of rolling authentication code so the dish becomes inoperable after a period of time.

Simply being in Russian territory doesn't guarantee a Russian is using it as it could be Ukrainian special forces deep in enemy territory.

[–] this_1_is_mine@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Russian "territory". Front lines move. So does command. How do you know where the cut off line is if its a fluid vs fixed line in the sand

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@kbin.social 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

You probably can't easily at the front lines. But you probably could past a threshold?

[–] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 months ago

It's very important that only "good" Corporations allow only "good" people to use their products.

[–] this_1_is_mine@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

How are you telling the absolute definite difference between who's using which transceiver in that area and which ones should you turn on or off?

[–] kemsat@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

To South Africa?

[–] OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 months ago

The US isn't at war with Russia sweaty.

[–] krolden@lemmy.ml -1 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Two whom?

[–] yeahiknow3@lemmings.world 15 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

The United States.

Of course, you could also argue that Musk is a traitor to all rational creatures everywhere, and that his existence is an act of blasphemy against all that is good and moral in the world, but that’s a separate issue.

[+] krolden@lemmy.ml -8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

He's not an elected official and AFAIK doing business with Russia would be a sanctions violation which does not equate treason.

He's just doing what the system allows for rich assholes to do.

[–] yeahiknow3@lemmings.world 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

By definition, a citizen is guilty of treason when he gives succor (aid and comfort) to his nation’s enemies. Musk gives a lot of succor to America’s enemies, he succors them real hard, if you know what I mean.

Edit: Brace yourselves everyone, the Putin/Musk apologetics have begun.

[–] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago

Yikes. What defines an "enemy" of america? Is it just whatever the government says? Has the US always been at war with Eurasia?

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Humanity?

[–] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago

That's just capitalism.

[–] StructuredPair@lemmy.world 59 points 9 months ago

I am waiting to find out he violated ITAR.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 8 points 9 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Ukrainian soldiers say Russia's military have begun using Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications network in Ukraine, according to a journalist in the country.

"They began to deliver Starlink en masse, via Dubai, accounts are activated, they work in the occupied territories," one of the soldiers with the X handle @Serhij wrote, referring to the four regions of Ukraine that were illegally annexed by Russia in the fall of 2022—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Musk's SpaceX deployed its Starlink satellites to help provide Kyiv with internet service in the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A source in the satellite communications market, familiar with the situation, told ComNews that Starlink systems are being delivered in bulk to Russia, and named Dubai as the location for the wholesale purchase of the equipment.

"Before being imported into Russia, terminals are registered under various foreign companies (Cyprus is often included), after which an account is activated under any name, often a fictitious one," the source said.

Musk previously refused to allow Ukraine to use Starlink internet services to launch an attack on Crimea to avoid complicity in a "major act of war."

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