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US House of Representatives lawmakers inquire into allegations of Russia use of SpaceX technology – JURIST

Democratic lawmakers in the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability sent a letter to SpaceX inquiring about the technology company’s potential relationship with Russia. The Wednesday letter stems from allegations that Russia may be using Starlink internet satellites, produced by American-owned SpaceX, in its ongoing war against Ukraine, potentially violating US sanctions.In the letter to SpaceX’s President Gwynne Shotwell, lawmakers expressed grave concerns regarding the illicit use of Starlink terminals by Russian forces in occupied Ukrainian regions. The lawmakers claimed, “Russia has sought to evade these sanctions” through the use of SpaceX’s Starlink technology. Specifically, the lawmakers pointed to “intercepted audio communications between Russian soldiers that indicated Russian forces had illegally deployed and activated Starlink terminals in certain Russian-occupied areas of Eastern Ukraine.”The lawmakers claimed that such use of the technology violates sanctions and export laws imposed upon Russia by the US. The lawmakers went on to explain, “Russia’s misuse of Starlink terminals outside Russia’s internationally recognized borders poses a serious threat to Ukraine’s security, Ukrainian lives, and U.S. national security.”As a result of these allegations, the lawmakers requested detailed information and a staff briefing from SpaceX by March 20. The demands include reports of illegal acquisition or use of Starlink terminals, SpaceX’s assessment and response procedures for such incidents, and measures taken to ensure compliance with US sanctions and export controls. Moreover, the lawmakers queried what steps SpaceX has taken or considered to eliminate potential security vulnerabilities that may be exploited for the illicit acquisition of Starlink technology.On the other hand, Starlink has raised concerns about being inadvertently “weaponized.” At the Federal Aviation Administration’s Commercial Space Transportation Conference in Washington, DC, Shotwell expressed her concern:The Ukrainians have leveraged it in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement. So you know, we have to work on that [with] Starlink. You offer a commercial product by connectivity to people which is helpful in conflict, but you also want to be careful of how they use it … On the other hand, they’re trying to fight for their country, so I understand it. The thing is, it’s not what was intended.Starlink rose to prominence in the region when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Subsequent cyberattacks on Ukrainian infrastructure caused Ukraine to rely upon the rapid deployment of Starlink terminals to restore communications. Layered on top of this are US efforts to impose strict export controls and sanctions designed to impair Russia’s military capabilities.