Musk says SpaceX Starlink satellite internet service activated in Ukraine amid Russian invasion

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the company’s Starlink satellite internet service has been activated in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion into the country. 

Musk announced that the service was active on Twitter after a Ukrainian official asked for the billionaire to provide the technology on Saturday.

“@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand,” Ukraine’s vice prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said in a Twitter post. Federov is also the country’s minister of digital transformation.

“Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route,” Musk tweeted in response. 

This comes as internet outages have been reported in parts of Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.

SpaceX has a network of almost 2,000 low-orbit satellites that help get internet to remote areas around the world.