US Continues To Ensure Ukraine Has Satellite Comms, Including Starlink - Defense Official

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2023) The United States continues to ensure Ukraine has satellite communication capabilities, especially through SpaceX's Starlink service, a defense official told Sputnik on Thursday.

"We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the satellite and communication capabilities they need - and that includes Starlink," the defense official said when asked about recent reports the Pentagon is purchasing Starlink devices for Ukraine.

The defense official explained that additional information regarding specific capabilities, contracts or partners is not available at this time because of operational security reasons and due to the critical nature of these systems.

In early April, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the Defense Department was in talks with Elon Musk's Starlink regarding the satellite communication services that are being provided to Ukraine in support of its military forces amid Russia's special military operation in the country.

In December, Bloomberg reported, citing Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, that over 10,000 Starlink antennas were going to be delivered to Ukraine in the coming months and that EU countries were going to help Ukraine pay for the Starlink services.