Starlink is a satellite internet service developed and controlled by SpaceX, a private company owned by Elon Musk. Musk owns about 42% of the company and nearly 80% of the voting rights in SpaceX, which gives him full control over key projects. Unlike state telecommunications, Starlink is a private initiative, which means the state has no direct power in deciding on its use. Musk has repeatedly stated that Starlink will not go public until revenues become fully stable, precisely to maintain complete autonomy.
The digital lifeline of Ukraine
After the Russian invasion in 2022, Starlink became a key tool for maintaining communication in Ukraine. It was used by civilians, hospitals, and the military, especially in areas where Russian attacks destroyed traditional telecommunication networks. Thanks to thousands of terminals delivered from abroad, Ukraine managed to preserve digital connectivity even under the most difficult circumstances.
Today, Starlink makes up about 65% of all active satellites in the world, and SpaceX manages two-thirds of all operational satellites in orbit. Such dominance means that Elon Musk controls the largest part of the global satellite internet infrastructure.
This power, however, is not neutral – Musk has on several occasions used his position to influence the course of the war. In September 2022, during the Ukrainian counteroffensive near Kherson, he allegedly ordered the shutdown of the Starlink network at a key moment, directly disrupting Ukrainian military operations.
Geographical restrictions and bans
Starlink does not function everywhere. SpaceX introduces so-called geofencing – geographical restrictions that prevent the use of terminals in occupied territories and in sensitive zones. The company has also restricted the use of Starlink for combat operations, especially for drone control, in order to avoid a direct role in warfare.
According to a report by the United States (U.S.) Agency for International Development (USAID), more than 5.000 terminals sent to Ukraine went out of control and supervision – some of them even ended up in Russian-occupied areas. There are reports that Russian forces occasionally used Starlink terminals to coordinate their attacks, which further highlights the risks when private technology becomes a weapon in war.
Starlink is an example of how a private company can become a key player in global conflicts. For Ukraine, it brought salvation in the form of communication, but at the same time, it showed the danger when the fate of an entire country depends on the decision of one man. Elon Musk today controls infrastructure that at the same time saves lives and raises new questions about monopoly, responsibility, and the limits of private power in geopolitics.
“As far as the military use of the Starlink network by SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, it is concentrated on command-and-control (C2) systems, which enable stable communication to units in the field and in areas where telecommunication infrastructure has collapsed. It ensures rapid transfer of data and information between units and field command in real time – on land, at sea, and in the air – which is extremely important in combined attacks of all three branches of the armed forces. In this context, it is a completely new approach that allows very fast command,” military analyst Nedzad Ahatovic said.
He added that drones and unmanned platforms operate with Starlink over long distances, transmitting high-resolution images in real time, which ensures rapid information exchange and field command. There is also the possibility and security that there will be no interference, since the system operates outside traditional radio and internet connections. It works on batteries and from any location, so such systems are not easy targets for enemy attacks.
“Also, Starlink helps in logistics, medical evacuation, psychological information operations, and hybrid action through the insertion of information, which is why companies like this become key in modern wars. This also includes geopolitical challenges, and the introduction of Starlink into military operations raises the question of Elon Musk’s role in future conflicts,” he added.
In conclusion, he underlined that this type of internet communication can also be used in asymmetric conflicts, where one side has access to the internet and the other does not. That side immediately gains an advantage at the beginning of the conflict, especially when it comes to command structure, aerial reconnaissance, gathering information about the enemy, and similar operations.
Starlink services are not free – how Ukraine funds it
Starlink services in Ukraine are not free, although in the early stages of the war, SpaceX donated some equipment and temporarily covered subscription costs. Civilian users could obtain terminals at a special reduced price – on average, about 385 dollars instead of the standard 599 dollars, while the monthly subscription was about 60 dollars. Later, the price of terminals rose to approximately 700 dollars, and the subscription rose to 75 dollars per month. According to official data, Poland announced that the standard subscription for one terminal costs about 5.500 hryvnias (about 529 PLN), while for premium packages the price reaches 14.000 hryvnias per month.
For the military, however, most of the costs were covered by international partners. The U.S. (through USAID and the Pentagon), Poland, and other countries financed thousands of terminals and their maintenance. By mid-2022, more than 20.000 Starlink terminals were active in Ukraine, of which as many as 85% were financed by donations from foreign states and organizations. This model clearly shows that Starlink is not a free service, but rather a combination of commercial charges for citizens and strategic international investments for the military and critical infrastructure.
Starlink in Gaza: Musk does not actually have full autonomy in decision-making
Elon Musk, as the owner of Starlink, demonstrates impressive autonomy, but in practice, he is subject to the influence of powerful states, as confirmed by the situation in Gaza. In October 2023, Musk offered Starlink service to international humanitarian organizations in Gaza after the complete shutdown of communications by the Israeli army. However, Israeli Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi strongly opposed, warning that Hamas could misuse the network for its activities, stating that “all available measures” would be used to prevent it. Musk gave up on that plan when the Israeli administration invited him to Israel following his decision to help Gaza, N1 writes.
