
The Ukrainian military claimed Sunday it had proof the Russian military was using Starlink to access the internet for communication in occupied territories in the Donbas region—a claim that has been repeatedly denied by Starlink owner SpaceX, and founder and CEO Elon Musk weighed in saying Starlink terminals aren’t sold to Russia.
According to the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency, the country had proof Russia’s 83rd Assault Brigade was using the service in Klishchiivka and Andriivka, two towns in the Donetsk region that have seen fierce fighting in recent months.
As proof of the allegations, the agency released a brief 12-second audio clip on social media, where a Russian speaker claims “Starlink works, there is internet.”
After Forbes reached out to SpaceX for comment, it responded by sharing a link back to a previous denial, which insists the company has never done business with the Russian government, Starlink terminals have never been for sale in Russia, are not shipped to the country and do not function within Russian borders.