WARSAW: Poland’s foreign minister on Tuesday called on US tech tycoon Elon Musk to cut Russian military access to his Starlink satellites, which experts say are used in Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
Radoslaw Sikorski, who is also deputy prime minister, spoke out after the US-based Institute for the Study of War said that the Russian army uses Starlink satellites to guide its drone attacks deep into Ukraine.
“Hey, big man, @elonmusk, why don’t you stop the Russians from using Starlinks to target Ukrainian cities. Making money on war crimes may damage your brand,” Sikorski said on X, Musk’s social media platform.
Musk denied in 2024 that Starlink terminals had been sold to Russia. According to Ukrainian intelligence services, the Russian army has obtained terminals through third countries rather than any official contract with Musk.
The ISW said that “Russian forces are increasingly using Starlink satellite systems to extend the range of BM-35 strike drones to conduct mid-range strikes against the Ukrainian rear.”
It said the reported 500-kilometer (310-mile) range of Starlink-equipped BM-35 drones “places most of Ukraine, all of Moldova, and parts of Poland, Romania, and Lithuania in range of these drones if launched from Russia or occupied Ukraine.”
Starlink is also widely used by the Ukrainian army for communications, so a general cut in the territory would be problematic.
Russia has in recent months stepped up its daily drone assaults on Ukrainian frontline troops as well as Ukrainian power stations and transport infrastructure across the country.
Some 165 drones were unleashed in attacks overnight between Sunday and Monday, according to Ukraine.
Poland foreign minister urges Musk to cut Russia’s Starlink access
https://arab.news/57a2m
Poland foreign minister urges Musk to cut Russia’s Starlink access
- Musk denied in 2024 that Starlink terminals had been sold to Russia
- Starlink is also widely used by the Ukrainian army for communications
Venezuela advances amnesty bill that could lead to mass release of political prisoners
- Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States
CARACAS: Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday advanced an amnesty bill proposed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez that could lead to the release of hundreds of opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons.
Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States. But the contents of the bill have not been released publicly, and rights groups have so far reacted with cautious optimism — and with demands for more information.
The bill, introduced just weeks after the US military captured then-President Nicolás Maduro, still requires a second debate that has yet to be scheduled. Once approved, it must be signed by Rodríguez before it can go into effect.
In announcing the bill late last month, Rodríguez told a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military brass and other government leaders that the ruling party-controlled National Assembly would take up the legislation with urgency.
“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism,” she said in a pre-taped televised event. “May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans.”
Rights groups, fearing some political detainees will be excluded, want more details about the requirements for amnesty before any final vote.
The Venezuelan Program for Education-Action in Human Rights, or PROVEA, issued a statement emphasizing that the bill must be made public urgently due to its potential impact on victims’ rights and broader Venezuelan society.
Based on what is known so far about the legislation, the amnesty would cover a broad timeline, spanning the administration of the late Hugo Chávez from 1999 to 2013 and that of his political heir, Maduro, until this year. It would exclude people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, and serious human rights violations, reports indicate.
