On November 26, Vladimir Solodov, governor of the Kamchatka region, announced that he had ordered the acquisition of a set of Starlink satellite equipment for military personnel from the 40th Marine Brigade participating in combat operations in Ukraine. This was the first time Russian officials had talked about official purchases of these kits.
SpaceX, the owner of Starlink, previously banned the sale of its services in Russia, but unofficial sellers continue to sell satellite communication kits in the country. In Moscow, a Starlink Mini kit costs around 60,000 rubles (about $600) according to a seller who claims the equipment was bought directly from the US and imported through friend countries. Activation and technical support is free.
In March 2024, The Washington Post reported that US House Democrats opened an investigation into SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, to examine whether the company had implemented adequate safeguards to prevent Russia from using its Starlink satellite Internet service in its war with Ukraine.
The owner of SpaceX Elon Musk then stated that the company did not sell Starlink kits directly to Russia, and the company is not obliged to monitor other buyers under US law.
