>> Elon's shutdown of Starlink over Ukraine

"In February 2022, two days after Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine requested that the American aerospace company SpaceX activate their Starlink satellite internet service in the country, to replace internet and communication networks degraded or destroyed during the war.[2][3][4] Starlink has since been used by Ukrainian civilians, government and military.[3][5] The satellite service has been employed for humanitarian purposes as well as defense and counterattacks on Russian positions.[6]"

"In 2022, Elon Musk denied a Ukrainian request to extend Starlink's coverage up to Russian-occupied Crimea during a counterattack on a Crimean port, from which Russia had been launching attacks against Ukrainian civilians; doing so would have violated US sanctions on Russia.[18] This event was widely reported in 2023, erroneously characterizing it as Musk "turning off" Starlink coverage in Crimea.[19][20]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink_in_the_Russian-Ukrain...

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noja 14 hours ago | parent | next [-]

“ According to three people familiar with the command, Musk told a senior engineer at the California offices of SpaceX, the Musk venture that controls Starlink, to cut coverage in areas including Kherson, a strategic region north of the Black Sea that Ukraine was trying to reclaim.” — https://www.reuters.com/investigations/musk-ordered-shutdown...

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szundi 14 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

[dead]

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throw93039r88 13 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I am sure it is against Terms of Service to use Starlink to bomb people!

Last time starlink was used to sank tanker near Turkey. It was miracle tanker was empty, and there was no ecological catastrophe!

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OKRainbowKid 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

IIRC, that tanker was chosen preciselybecause it was empty and would not cause an ecological disaster. Not much of a miracle.

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A4ET8a8uTh0_v2 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It is a fascinating thought. War being against TOS. And enforced thusly. As an abstract idea that is not connected to reality on the ground it offers a.. view into today's mind and what it can be compelled with.

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gmdrigipo 9 hours ago | parent [-]

If Starlink does not enforce its TOS, it is a weapon used in the war (guidance system for drones), and its satellites are legitimate targets for air defence.

West uses the same logic to bomb neutral tankers, because they may carry weapon or stuff!

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A4ET8a8uTh0_v2 9 hours ago | parent [-]

My relatively mild amusement comes from war being against TOS, where war is effectively ultimate break of local level TOS. The only reason it is even discussed in this way is because, as war goes, it is contained. 'Real wars have no terms of service' is my subtle point.

edit: I accept I am a somewhat horrible person to even be able to articulate those thoughts.

	▲	sedawkgrep 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> accept I am a somewhat horrible person to even be able to articulate those thoughts. No, you’re simply thoughtful and a realist. To acknowledge something doesn’t mean you agree with or endorse it.