Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister, claimed that around 1,50,000 Ukrainians use Starlink satellite internet services. Fedorov published the approximate figures in a tweet on May 2, saying, “This is important assistance for Ukraine’s infrastructure and repairing the ravaged areas.” In his tweet, he continued, “Ukraine will remain linked no matter what.”
The Starlink network is now being expanded by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which just launched 53 additional satellites to enhance the internet-provider constellation. After Fedorov contacted Musk after the Russian invasion on February 24, Ukraine started utilizing Starlink services. The Vice PM had disclosed that Russian troops had blocked communication services in the nation, tagging Musk on Twitter and urging the SpaceX CEO to activate the Starlink satellites above Ukraine.
It’s no secret that Starlink has become the backbone of Ukraine’s communication services, with over 10,000 Starlink antennas serving the country’s internet needs. These terminals, according to the US Agency for International Development, arrived in Ukraine via a variety of routes (USAID). According to USAID’s updated statement to CNBC, 5,000 Starlink terminals worth $15 million were delivered to Ukraine via “a variety of parties,” and USAID purchased 1,333 terminals directly from SpaceX.
There are already more than 2,300 Starlink satellites in orbit, with SpaceX expecting to launch thousands more in the coming months. Fedorov has expressed his thanks to Musk on many occasions as a result of SpaceX’s assistance. He most recently tweeted about generating 258 Ethereum in cryptocurrencies for Ukraine with a non-fungible token (NFT) named after Musk.
He also released photos of Starlink being used to quickly restore communication services throughout the nation. “In seized territory, the Russian army has left behind damaged infrastructure and a broken internet connection. Starlink is our simple and rapid option for restoring telecom. @lifecellua, for example, utilizes Starlink as a base station in Bucha and Irpin until an optical connection can be installed (sic) “Fedorov had sent out a tweet.
Source: Republic World