Report: SpaceX Can No Longer Fund Starlink In Ukraine, Asks US to Pay
SpaceX may have to stop providing Starlink terminals in Ukraine unless the US government steps in to cover the costs, the company writes in a letter to the Pentagon.
According to CNN(Opens in a new window), SpaceX wrote to the US Defense Department on Sept. 8 requesting that the US government start paying for Starlink access in Ukraine, which has become crucial to helping the country’s military fight Russian forces.
“We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time,” SpaceX reportedly told the Pentagon.
Elon Musk seemingly confirmed CNN’s reporting on Twitter. In a tweet(Opens in a new window) on Friday, the SpaceX CEO said the company has had to pay tens of millions to operate the Starlink service in Ukraine while fending off cyberattacks from Russia. “Burn is approaching ~$20M/month,” he added.
A user on Twitter also noted that the SpaceX request comes after a Ukrainian ambassador told(Opens in a new window) Musk to "f*** off" after he suggest a peace plan for the war that many saw as pro-Russian. In response, Musk tweeted(Opens in a new window) back: "We’re just following his recommendation."
Earlier this month, Musk also tweeted(Opens in a new window) that Starlink continues to represent a financial loss for SpaceX. “Should be noted that Starlink is still far from cash flow positive. All LEO (low-Earth orbiting) communications constellations to date have gone bankrupt, so any support is super helpful.”
However, the CNN report claims US and foreign governments already fund a large portion of the Starlink access in Ukraine—contrary to Musk’s past statements. SpaceX’s own letter to the Pentagon last month reportedly notes around 85% of the
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