Russian troops in Ukraine have allegedly been using SpaceX’s Starlink terminals to get internet access during the ongoing war that has seen hundreds of thousands of casualties on each side. And now, House Democrats are finally asking hard questions of SpaceX leadership about how this could be happening, according to an open letter published on Thursday.
The letter to SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell from some top Democrats in the House makes the case that Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet access is considered essential to Ukraine’s continued ability to fight against Russia’s invasion, which first started in February 2022.
The letter from the Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Rep. Robert Garcia of California, stresses that Russia’s use of Starlink tech would be “potentially in violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls.”
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on February 15 that Russian troops have been using Starlink internet for “quite a long time,” according to Ukraine’s Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov.
Russia is believed to be acquiring the Starlink terminals from black market sellers, sometimes posing as German appliance manufacturers according to the Journal, but SpaceX leaders presumably have insight into who and how these terminals might be used by illicit Russian actors. For example, Musk shut off Starlink access for Ukrainian-controlled devices in Crimea early in the war, ostensibly to stop an “escalation” of the conflict.
“It is alarming that Russia may be obtaining and using your technology to coordinate attacks against Ukrainian troops in illegally occupied regions in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, potentially in violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls,” wrote the Democrats in the new letter.
The letter even quotes SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who previously said, “[t]o the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia.” But the Democrats point out Ukraine’s military says Russia’s use of Starlink is “systemic,” raising questions about Stalink’s culpability in all of this.
“We are concerned that you do not have appropriate guardrails and policies in place to ensure your technology is neither acquired nor used illegally by Russia,” the letter warns.
The letter ends with seven questions posed to SpaceX about Starlink and Russia’s use of the satellite technology:
- How many reports or complaints has SpaceX received regarding possible illegal acquisition, trade, or use of Starlink terminals, including in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine? How many reports or complaints has SpaceX examined?
- How does SpaceX assess, review, or evaluate reports or complaints related to the possible illegal acquisition, trade, or use of Starlink terminals, including in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine?
- What guidance and/or policies does SpaceX have to prevent illegal acquisition, trade, or use of Starlink terminals?
- What guidance and/or policies does SpaceX follow if it determines an actor has illegally acquired, traded, or used Starlink terminals?
- What actions has SpaceX taken to ensure Starlink users are compliant with U.S. sanctions and export control laws—including U.S. sanctions and export controls related to Russia?
- What actions has SpaceX taken or considered taking to eliminate existing or potential security vulnerabilities that actors, such as Russia, may exploit to illicitly acquire, trade or use Starlink terminals, including in Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine?
- How does SpaceX and its subdivisions work with the Departments of Justice, Commerce, and/or the Treasury to prevent illicit acquisition, trade, or use of satellite terminals, including in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine?
The Democrats have given SpaceX until March 20 to respond. SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to emailed questions Thursday afternoon. We’ll update this post if we hear back.
