Ukraine Minister Praises Elon Musk's Quick Reaction, Says SpaceX Will Deliver 10,000 Starlink Antennas

Ukraine says it reached a deal with Elon Musk-led SpaceX to get over 10,000 more Starlink antennas to help counter Vladimir Putin's air attacks. 

What Happened: Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Transformation, said SpaceX would send more than 10,000 of the Starlink antennas that helped Ukraine's advancement in the early days of the invasion, in the coming months, reported Bloomberg. 

Fedorov said SpaceX and Musk “quickly” reacted “to problems” and decided to help Ukraine.

See Also: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy To Meet Biden, Address Congress In 1st Foreign Trip Since Putin’s Invasion

"Musk assured us he will continue to support Ukraine. When we had a powerful blackout, I messaged him on that day and he momentarily reacted and has already delivered some steps. He understands the situation."

SpaceX did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.

Earlier, Musk's company had informed Pentagon that it might stop funding internet services to Ukraine after the CEO spoke about the out-of-pocket expenses SpaceX has to incur to provide connectivity to Ukraine. However, after massive flak on social media, Musk reversed his stance, saying that his company would continue to fund the operation of the Starlink internet service in Ukraine for free.

Since Putin's invasion, the Starlink satellite internet terminals allowed the war-torn nation’s military to fight and stay connected even though Russia has destroyed internet networks and installed jammers.

Meanwhile, Fedorov said Kyiv has received about 22,000 Starlink antennas since the onset of the war, adding that "there is no alternative to satellite connections."

"We have a lot of Starlinks, but the key point is we have got a nod for another shipment that will be used to stabilize connection for critical situations."

Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Check out more of Benzinga’s Europe and Asia coverage by following this link.