"Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More
terminals en route," Musk tweeted.
He was responding to a tweet by an Ukraine government
official who asked Musk to provide the embattled country with Starlink
stations.
“@elonmusk, while you try to colonise Mars — Russia try to
occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian
rockets attack Ukrainian civil people!" Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister,
Mykhailo Fedorov, tweeted.
Internet connectivity in Ukraine has been affected by the
Russian invasion, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the country
where fighting has been heaviest, Internet monitors said on Saturday.
While extremely costly to deploy, satellite technology can
provide internet for people who live in rural or hard-to-serve places where
fibre optic cables and cell towers do not reach. The technology can also be a
critical backstop when hurricanes or other natural disasters disrupt
communication.
Musk said on January 15 that SpaceX had 1,469 Starlink
satellites active and 272 moving to operational orbits soon. - Reuters