Tesla founder Elon Musk has been supplying Ukraine with Starlink satellite internet since the start of the Russian war of aggression.

In doing so, he secures the country's digital infrastructure.

But this commitment could soon be over: In a letter to the Pentagon, which is available to the American broadcaster CNN, Musk announces that he will discontinue the services.

Unless the US military contributes tens of millions of dollars a month to fund it.

Stefanie Diemand

Editor in Business.

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Musk gives the reason that he can no longer finance the Starlink services.

According to the Tesla founder, it will cost a total of $120 million to deploy for the remainder of 2022.

Another $400 million would be added for 2023.

"We are not in a position to donate more terminals to Ukraine or to fund the existing terminals indefinitely," Musk wrote in the September letter to the US Department of Defense.

A central role

At the start of the war, Musk responded to a request from Ukraine's Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov to bring satellite internet to Ukraine.

"While you are trying to colonize Mars, Russia is trying to occupy Ukraine," Fedorov wrote to Musk on Twitter at the time.

In areas where there is no longer any access to the Internet due to destroyed infrastructure, satellite Internet is a key means of communication.

In July, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhniy reportedly asked for nearly 8,000 more Starlink terminals.

In another letter to the Pentagon, an outside consultant working for SpaceX wrote: "SpaceX faces very difficult decisions here.

I don't think they have the financial capacity to provide the additional terminals or services requested by General Zaluzhniy."

According to an article in the Financial Times, Ukraine was recently struggling with Starlink device failures.

In response, Musk tweeted: "What happens on the battlefield is confidential." In early October, he also caused widespread criticism with a proposal that Ukraine cede Crimea to Russia and hold a referendum for other areas in the south and east of the country UN supervision should be held.

Some Twitter users accuse Musk of now responding to criticism of his proposals.

The Ukrainian ambassador wrote after Musk's controversial Twitter vote that the Tesla boss should leave Ukraine alone.

Referring to this connection, Elon Musk only replied: "We are only following his recommendation".