The Pentagon said SpaceX's Starlink, a satellite communication service launched by billionaire Elon Musk, now has a Department of Defense contract to buy those satellite services for Ukraine.
We continue to work with a variety of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the robust satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communication constitute a vital layer in Ukraine's overall communication network, which the department contracts with Starlink for such services, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Ukraine's troops have utilized Starlink for various purposes, such as battlefield communication.
SpaceX, through private donations and a separate contract with a U.S. foreign aid agency, has been providing Ukrainians and the U.S. military with Starlink internet service, a rapidly expanding network of more than 4,000 satellites in low Earth orbit since the beginning of the war in 2022.
SpaceX's Pentagon contract is a boon for SpaceX after Musk, the company's CEO, said it could not afford to indefinitely fund Starlink in Ukraine, an effort he said cost $20 million a month to maintain.
Russia has been trying to cut off and jam internet services in Ukraine, including attempts to block Starlink in the region, yet SpaceX has countered these attacks by hardening the service's software.
The Pentagon did not disclose the terms of the contract, which Bloomberg reported earlier on Thursday for operational security reasons and because of the critical nature of these systems.