Pentagon Awards Starlink Contract For Ukraine's Internet

In an apparent reckoning with Elon Musk's internet services provider Starlink, the US Pentagon has granted it the contract for Ukraine's internet provisioning.

With this development, SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service has now officially been enrolled in the war in Ukraine.

The Department of Defense signed a contract with the company to provide internet services for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian Federation.

According to Reuters, the contract was awarded to Elon Musk's company on June 1.

The specifics of the contract are classified in an effort to obfuscate how exactly Starlink's satellites and subsequent services will be used in the fight.

It is also unknown how much money was involved in the deal.

Undoubtedly the upgraded internet services will be of a huge strategic advantage to troops on the ground controlling drones and other weapons systems but also for the people of Ukraine, who have been subject to repeated internet jamming attempts by invading Russian forces.

However, this is not the first time Starlink and SpaceX have been involved in the fight.

Last year, the companies caused controversy for threatening to cut off services to Ukraine unless the U.S. Department of Defense footed the bill. 

Specifically, SpaceX's president Gwynne Shotwell caused a PR and policy disaster when she initially floated the idea and openly admitted that SpaceX previously limited Ukraine's access to the internet services that Starlink provides.