The Starlink satellite internet service is now active in Ukraine, with more terminals en route, according to Musk.
The announcement was made in response to a plea from a Ukrainian government official for more Starlink stations.
While you try to colonize Mars, Russia tries to occupy Ukraine. Mykhailo Fedorov, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, asked Musk to provide Starlink stations for his country.
—Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 26, 2022
Musk said he had granted the request. It was not immediately clear how accessible the Starlink service would be.
The official account for Ukraine thanked Musk for his announcement.
—Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) February 26, 2022
The extent of the internet disruption in Ukraine was not immediately clear on Saturday. According to internet monitors, the country&s main internet provider had a 20% plunge in connection on Friday, but it was not clear how much of that was caused by Ukrainians fleeing their homes.
Alp Toker, director of NetBlocks, told the news outlet that they currently observe national connectivity at 87% of ordinary levels, a figure that reflects service disruptions as well as population flight and the shuttering of homes and businesses since the morning of the 24th.
Starlink is a growing network of private satellites hovering in a low altitude aiming to provide high-speed internet service around the world. There are more than 1,500 Starlink satellites.
Saturday was not the first time that SpaceX offered to send Starlink terminals to countries in need. Last month, Musk offered to send the terminals to Tonga, where a volcanic eruption disrupted internet access.
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