Ukraine’s leaders thank Elon Musk for latest delivery of satellite-internet gear

SpaceX boss activated Starlink over country days after Vladimir Putin’s invasion

Ukraines leaders have thanked SpaceX boss Elon Musk for the latest delivery of the company’s satellite-internet equipment to the embattled country.

The entrepreneur activated the company’s Starlink system over Ukraine in the days that followed Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion and shared advice on Twitter with officials on how to keep internet in the country running while under attack.

Now Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s vice prime minister, who also oversees digital transformation, has again taken to Twitter and posted a photograph of another truck loaded with Starlink transmitters.

“Received the second shipment of Starlink stations! (Elon Musk) keeps his word! Thank you for supporting Ukraine and peace in the entire world!” he tweeted.

The day after Russia’s attack Mr Fedorov first publicly messaged Mr Musk to ask him top help provide Starlink, a satellite-based internet system that beams its signal into hard to reach areas of the world.

Just 10 hours later the SpaceX CEO confirmed that Starlink had been activated and two days later the first truck full of terminals needed to receive the internet signal arrived in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky also thanked Mr Musk for “supporting Ukraine with words and deeds”.

Mr Musk then warned Starlink users in Ukraine that the systems may be targeted by Russian troops and that the devices should be covered with “light camouflage” to hide them.

But the businessman has declined to block pro-Russian news outlets, saying he would “not do so unless at gunpoint. Sorry to be a free speech absolutist.”