this post was submitted on 29 Feb 2024
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SpaceX's Starlink user terminals are being openly sold in Russia, though CEO Elon Musk has denied knowledge of any such sales in the country.

The terminals, which link users with the Starlink satellite constellation are available on the Chinese company DJI's website in Russia.

The Shenzhen-based firm is better known as one of the world's leading drone producers. Soon after Russia began its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, DJI announced it would temporarily suspend business in both countries pending "compliance assessments."

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

Damn, I liked DJIs products.

Guess that's another one to add to the blacklist.

Also; I find it impossibly unlikely SpaceX has been entirely unaware of these terminals being active in Russia. They can identify the location of any active terminal via the satellite constellation and either gps or simply triangulation of the signals.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago

I'm sure they were selling them drones too.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

If it comes from China it's hitting the shade at some point my friend the difference is in how much.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.

(Well actually I'm surprised it's DJI, they could actually face sanctions if the US wanted to. I wouldn't be surprised if it were a pop up shop.)

[–] [email protected] -3 points 6 months ago

Sanction how? Both sides are buying all the Mavics they can get their hands on. DGI is the bell of the ball.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago (2 children)

So now we can pinpoint the Russian outposts when the terminals make contact with the satellites?

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago (1 children)

If Starlink will provide location information in a timely manner, which I don't have much confidence in.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago

But… but musk said that starlink isn’t meant to be used for WAR! He surely wouldn’t lie in order to attempt to spin his intent to prolong the war and sell to the other side through an intermediary!!!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Not with Elon running things considering he decided not allowing Ukraine to quickly win the war would start WWIII.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

No Such Agency surely has a…workaround…for gathering the data.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago

The US DoD should seize that company and its assets.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

When Elon dies and all the truths come out, I guarantee you we will find out that he was fully aware of this.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] -2 points 6 months ago

Get to the choppa!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Wait does this mean they are cloned like every other Chinese factory made product? Are they made in Chinese factories?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Nope, they are official resellers for China (and Mongolia?)

Edit; which in my view makes it worse, Elon probably wanted this to happen....

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago (1 children)

ITAR is pretty direct about these situations: if you sell to a 3rd party and that 3rd party sells to an ITAR-restricted country, you're gonna get investigated HARD.

[–] randombullet 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I think starshield is the only one that's ITAR controlled

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

I don't know the specifics of how it applies to Starlink, but I work in telecom and just about everything I do is ITAR controlled. I don't even make the telecom devices, just equipment to test them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

As someone considered a "foreign person" in the context of these export regulations...

ITAR! ITAR! ITAR!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

Terminals are uplinks to remote resources. They would be at minimum be able to see the terminals being used to connect to Russian VPNs and note that they are being used in areas controlled by Russia that are not contested. Our lawmakers must compel them to turn over the entire internal communications to a special master to determine what they knew about this and when and decision makers including Musk must be summoned to congress. When not if it is discovered that they were aware or willfully blind prosecutions for treason should begin. In between A and B the entire operation should be seized and operated by the US army.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago