Russian troops in Ukraine are using thousands of Starlink satellite communications terminals, Ukraine's military intelligence chief told The Wall Street Journal.
Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov said Moscow have been using the technology - made by Elon Musk's SpaceX - for "quite a long time" to communicate.
He claimed they acquired the terminals from private Russian firms that purchased them from intermediaries.
The intermediaries, he said, deliver the equipment to Russia through neighboring countries, including former Soviet Republics.
The Reuters news agency on Monday said that Russian troops were communicating over Starlink on their front lines, but did not disclose the extent to which the terminals were in use.
This is the latest development in a fast-moving technology race
Why does this matter?
On the ground, it makes Ukrainian intelligence harder to gather.
Former Brigadier Ben Barry told Reuters that if Russian forces are using Starlink their communications would be more secure and harder for Ukraine and its allies to crack.
It's also another development in a rapidly expanding technology race, following yesterday's claim out of the US that Moscow was now in possession of a space-based satellite-killing nuclear weapon.
Finally, if the claims are correct, it could be bad news for Elon Musk's SpaceX - which has previously said it does not do any business in or with Russia.
The company did not respond to an email earlier this week asking whether it could categorically rule out the system's use by Russian troops in Ukraine, and it has been approached for comment on this story.
Musk will have covered his tracks but Musk needs made to deny access to russian usrs - or he is breaking sanctions ....gaol the traitlor !
