Russia is using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite devices in Ukraine, sources say::undefined

      • doctorcrimson@lemmy.today
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        9 months ago

        It would be strange if he still needed more after he scammed Tesla investors into giving him a $50 Bn USD bonus, setting a new record for pay disparity between CEO and average worker.

        I wonder if they’ve got something else on him?

    • Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Not even the article you didn’t read implies SpaceX is selling these to Russia. This tech falls under US sanctions to Russia. Starlink is not enabled there. Hell, it’s not even enabled on Crimea as was demonstrated by the failed Ukrainian drone boat assault there.

      • TwattyMcTwatterson@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        How dare you insinuate I didn’t read the article. I’ll have you know I read every bit of the first paragraph. Now, good day sir. harrumph

  • RobotToaster@mander.xyz
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    9 months ago

    Is this a surprise?

    It’s not exactly easy to tell from a satellite if it’s a Russian or Ukrainian operator.

    • echo64@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I’m confused. Do you think starlink is free to access? You have to have authentication to use it, spacex is allowing russia to use it.

      • Evil_incarnate@lemm.ee
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        9 months ago

        Of course starlink is allowing paying customers to use it, won’t someone think of the shareholders!

      • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        9 months ago

        I’m curious, how do you think Starlink can tell the difference between a Ukrainian and a Russian?

        Are you under the impression that Russia is signing up for service transparently? The devices aren’t sold in Russia, and won’t even work within Russia. Meaning they were likely bought through a proxy using aliases, and set up in Ukraine.

        At that point, you cant tell the difference. It’s just data, which can also be easily encrypted and proxied to mask the fact that they are being used for military purposes.

        • rdri@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          It’s just data, which can also be easily encrypted and proxied to mask the fact that they are being used for military purposes.

          It’s not though. The data goes both ways. As long as the device id was not altered, its history of movement can be tracked down, provided such a data is being recorded.

          Also, there may be caveats about how accounts are getting created and activated. Those devices bought by Russia may come with pre-activated accounts that can be tracked by origin.

          Finally, billing. Unless Russia is not relying on stolen Ukrainian credit cards it should be easy to identify that a group of devices/accounts is being paid for by entities that are neither Russian nor Ukrainian.

          Based on all of that, they could filter groups of devices by location, confirm it with Ukrainian forces and ban maliciously used ones.

          • UrPartnerInCrime@sh.itjust.works
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            9 months ago

            Yeah. Russia crosses many lines but stealing credit cards is NOT one of them /s

            Edit: Null User was right. But just the be sure I’ll edit in the /s

            • rdri@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              What do you mean? They steal basically everything they can when destroying cities and killing people. Should I mention it’s a crime to make it more obvious?

                • rdri@lemmy.world
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                  9 months ago

                  I don’t get such a sarcasm. It doesn’t target any specific point in my arguments, they are about how Starlink could locate the illegal use of devices, not about how justified or not Russian crimes are.

          • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            9 months ago

            Russia has operatives worldwide. Just like every other country with any sort of intelligence agency. The idea that they aren’t able to come up with a credit card with a Ukrainian name that looks 100% legitimate to a billing company is farcical.

            Let me just ask you point blank, do you think the CIA could manage to purchase a Starlink, activate it, and use it, without anyone having any idea it was the CIA that did all that? Because if so, it’s just as easy for Russia to do it.

            Hell, I could likely do it.

              • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                9 months ago

                Really? Let’s see…

                • Purchase a prepaid Visa card from somewhere without cameras, preload it with $1k.
                • Using a library computer, order a Starlink device to a post office, general delivery under a pseudonym.
                • Pick up said order using a fake ID with the pseudonym previously mentioned.

                Congrats! You are now the proud owner of a Starlink dish, under a fake name, with no traceable evidence left behind of who you actually were.

            • rdri@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              The idea that they aren’t able to come up with a credit card with a Ukrainian name that looks 100% legitimate to a billing company is farcical.

              I see you don’t know how credit card numbers work. You may also not be aware of the fact that credit cards aren’t working in Russia for almost 2 years.

              Let me just ask you point blank, do you think the CIA could manage to purchase a Starlink, activate it, and use it, without anyone having any idea it was the CIA that did all that?

              Just one or two is easy to manage. A dozen is much more difficult already, provided Starlink manages some security and has access to metadata (data that ultimately can’t be faked such as location, accounts, device id).

              • KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                9 months ago

                … meaning that one of their many worldwide operatives could just get a credit card. Like, say, in Ukraine.

                You’re focused way too hard on “following the law and doing things by the book” without realizing Russia is more of a “do what it takes.”

                • rdri@lemmy.world
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                  9 months ago

                  Yeah okay. Let’s say we covered the billing. What about devices id, their origin and location? Those are not purchased through Ukraine and Starlink is ought to know that.

          • LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee
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            9 months ago

            This is kinda scary. Sanctions are one thing, but do you really want your internet provider to investigate people and act like an intelligence service for the state?

            • rdri@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              It’s not about what I want. It’s about what Starlink can do to make sure their help to Ukrainian army (which is paid by the US department of defense) goes only to Ukrainian army.

        • KrapKake@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          You see, you are supposed to have a “musk bad” comment, not a rational comment.

      • jonne@infosec.pub
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        9 months ago

        Yeah, it’s totally impossible for Russia to register these using an Ukrainian VPN with Ukrainian ID. It’s not like they have access to tons of POWs or even Ukrainians that are sympathetic to Russia.

        • echo64@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          So now you think that it’s… Ukrainian traitors or pows? You think they don’t deactivate clearance for anyone captured?

          If you’re going to make up fan fiction for Russia, at least suggest something more realistic, like espionage

          • jonne@infosec.pub
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            9 months ago

            Is registration only limited to military personnel? My guess is that anyone except citizens of sanctioned countries can register one of those, so you just need any kind of Ukrainian (or even non-Russian) ID, which are probably plentiful if you have access to POWs or the population of Donbass.

      • Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee
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        9 months ago

        spacex is allowing russia to use it

        Bold claim to suggest they would be defying US sanctions to Russia like that. Got anything to back that up? Not even the article that you didn’t read implies that.

        • gmtom@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Bold claim to suggest they would be defying US sanctions to Russia like that

          I’m no diplomat but I’m pretty sure this doesn’t break any laws.

          And if you know anything about Musk then it’s really not a bold claim.

          • Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee
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            9 months ago

            It’s against US sanctions. Starlink doesn’t work in Russia (or Crimea) for this very reason.

            “If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed.”

          • locuester@lemmy.zip
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            9 months ago

            But you clearly didn’t read the article. This makes having dialog in the comments frustrating.

            • gmtom@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              I did though. Nowhere in the article does it mention this breaking any laws. Just that spacex doesn’t sell to Russia.

    • OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      Yeah, they put up a prompt when you visit that you confirm you’re over 18 and definitely Ukrainian.

    • DudeDudenson@lemmings.world
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      9 months ago

      People on Lemmy have a massive hard on for hating anyone who makes more money than they do or represents any right wing ideologies

      • YeetPics@mander.xyz
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        9 months ago

        The fact you think it’s about something so shallow as money kinda shows that you haven’t been listening to anyone at all.

      • RobotToaster@mander.xyz
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        9 months ago

        Don’t get me wrong, I hate musk, and billionaires in general.

        I just hate people being wrong on the internet more.

  • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Well, Elon Musk is a traitor, bigot and fascist, so this makes sense. I would not be surprised if he is sharing sensitive Ukrainian data with the Russians as Ukrainians also use Starlink.

  • circuscritic@lemmy.ca
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    9 months ago

    Can’t wait for all of the concerned users to start screaming about ITAR…any second now.

  • kingthrillgore@lemmy.ml
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    9 months ago

    I can see that the supplier has his balls in Russia’a vise grips from that fucking hellsite he “bought”

  • wahming@monyet.cc
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    9 months ago

    Musk is an ass, but there’s way too many possible explanations and insufficient information to be throwing accusations around right now.

    The CIA should definitely be looking into this, though.

  • jaschen@lemm.ee
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    9 months ago

    Just giving Elon the benefit of a doubt. Perhaps the Russian’s might have taken over a region and the equipment was not taken during the evacuation. Who knows if this starlink device is even operational.