Putin threatens to destroy Musk’s starlink satellite
Elon Musk‘s space-based internet provider, Starlink, is now seen by Moscow as a legitimate military target in its drive to annex Ukraine, making outer space the most recent theatre of battle in this conflict.
Since its network of satellites flying in low earth orbit (LEO) has so far shown to be immune to electromagnetic attack—impressing even the Pentagon’s top brass—Starlink continues to be an essential component in Ukraine’s efforts to stave off Vladimir Putin’s invasion forces.
As a result of what Moscow views as a “very dangerous tendency” toward a “full-fledged arms race in space,” the Russian government has now indirectly threatened Musk that it will fire down his birds.
The deputy leader of the Russian delegation to the UN, Konstantin Vorontsov, pleaded with his colleagues to denounce what they perceived to be the United States’ co-opting of commercial services for its own military objectives.
He called on America to revert to current international legal accords and standards governing outer space, such as the UN treaty signed in 1967, saying that “quasi-civilian infrastructure may become a valid target for retribution.”
Only a small group of pariah nations, including North Korea and Belarus, have been able to support Russia at the UN. However, a significant portion of developing nations and non-aligned states, like as China, India, and South Africa, have voted withheld consent in the UN General Assembly resolutions denouncing its illegitimate acquisition of Ukrainian land.
On Thursday, Washington retaliated by promising to retaliate with proportionate force for any attacks on American property.
The National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, John Kirby, stated on Thursday that any attack on American infrastructure would be met with a reaction that was commensurate to the threat presented to our infrastructure.
Wachtell & Twitter board deliberately hid this evidence from the court. Stay tuned, more to come … pic.twitter.com/CifaNvtRtt
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2022