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USAID Criticized Over Lack of Oversight on Starlink Terminals Supplied to Ukraine
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) could not verify whether Ukraine had improperly used thousands of Starlink terminals supplied after Russia’s 2022 invasion, according to an inspector general’s report obtained by Bloomberg on August 14.
The report stated that the draft transfer agreement prohibited the “military use” of the terminals. They were intended for hospitals, schools, communications, and other civilian purposes. However, soon after the war began, allegations emerged that Ukrainian forces had weaponized Starlink terminals to operate drones and carry out artillery strikes against Russian military equipment, vehicles, and mobile command centers.
According to Bloomberg, Ukrainian officials acknowledged that the terminals were used in military operations.
The inspector general’s report offered no new evidence that Ukraine had weaponized the Starlink devices. It noted, however, that after allegations of misuse appeared in the media, Starlink’s parent company, SpaceX, and its CEO Elon Musk publicly warned Ukraine against using the terminals to operate drones.
According to the report, these devices—vital for sustaining civilian services such as hospital communications, emergency shelters, and local administration—were delivered under wartime urgency: 1,508 purchased by USAID and 3,667 donated by SpaceX. The report acknowledges that, due to the war’s emergency conditions, USAID “did not know where the terminals were or how they were being used.”
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USAID officials admitted they did not know where the terminals were or how they were being used but “hoped” Ukraine “used them as intended.” The report noted that the agency did not request information or inquire about the terminals’ use until after the inspector general began its inspection last year.
The inspector general recommended that USAID ensure Ukraine identifies “which USAID-delivered Starlink terminals are at high risk of misuse or theft and coordinate with SpaceX to suspend service for those terminals.” Earlier this year, USAID was effectively shut down, with its remaining operations absorbed by the US State Department.
Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine is poised to be among the first countries to launch SpaceX’s Starlink Direct to Cell service, enabling users to send text messages via satellite even without mobile network coverage.
