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Ukraine sought Starlink for Black Sea strike, SpaceX refused
SpaceX declined to activate coverage around Sevastopol in 2022, citing the risk of being complicit in an act of war and pointing to US sanctions covering Crimea.
In 2022, Ukraine asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to activate Starlink coverage around Sevastopol to help support an attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, according to SCMP Economy.
SCMP Economy reports that Musk refused, saying SpaceX would become explicitly complicit in a major act of war, and he later cited US sanctions that cover Crimea as another constraint.
The piece argues that chokepoints hinge not only on how much an actor depends on a passage, but also on what it takes to use it, and ultimately who holds the decision power.
It notes that China’s so called Malacca dilemma emerged after Hu Jintao warned in 2003 that certain major powers could control the Strait of Malacca, and it links maritime vulnerability to Beijing’s decision to build naval capability.