Elon Musk Embarrasses Putin As Starlink Becomes Most-Downloaded App In Ukraine
Starlink terminals were deployed to provide Ukrainians with access to SpaceX's satellite internet
Elon Musk has once again shown up Vladimir Putin after his Starlink app became the most-downloaded in Ukraine.
Late last month, the Tesla boss rushed to help the country amid its ongoing invasion by Russia by deploying a number of Starlink terminals, which provide access to SpaceX's satellite internet.
The app for the service has proven to be highly effective, particularly for those living in areas that have suffered from power and internet outages following the initial military invasion.
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On Sunday (March 13), Sensor Tower, which provides App Store and Google Play data, told the Wall Street Journal that the app has been downloaded nearly 100,000 times in Ukraine, with global downloads more than tripling in the last two weeks.
The firm revealed it broke the record for the most global installs in a single day, a majority of which were from inside Ukraine.
The SpaceX billionaire supplied the additional Starlink terminals, which arrived in only two days, after Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov pleaded with the tech genius to step in.
Fedorov wrote on Twitter: "@elonmusk, while you try and colonize Mars - Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space - Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand."
Just hours after Fedorov's initial call to Musk, the 50-year-old replied that the 'service is now active in Ukraine', earning him substantial praise online for this speedy response.
As well as providing internet access to those who need it the most, the Starlink service is particularly beneficial in the current situation as it is hard to disrupt by foreign influence, which means Russia is now unlikely to prevent Ukraine from communicating with the outside world.
That said, Musk did issue a warning after deploying the technology, explaining that Starlink is 'the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine', meaning the probability of it being targeted by Russian forces is 'high'.
'Please use with caution,' he added, before later advising users to only turn on the system 'when needed', to place the antenna 'as far away from people as possible' and to place 'light camouflage over antenna to avoid visual detection’.
Fedorov acknowledged Musk's warning as he responded to his tweet to say 'sure', before expressing plans to use the Starlink service 'for Ukrainians also after our victory'.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Daisy Phillipson