NEW YORK, Feb 13, 2023 (BSS/TASS) - Starlink satellite communication network is necessary to ensure communication in Ukraine, it should not be used for escalation that could lead to a World War III, US businessman Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, which owns satellite communications facilities, said on Monday.

"Starlink is the communication backbone of Ukraine, especially at the front lines, where almost all other Internet connectivity has been destroyed. But we will not enable escalation of conflict that may lead to WW3 (World War III - TASS)," Musk wrote on Twitter.

Last week, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said the company had restricted military drones in Ukraine from accessing the Starlink network because the latter, according to her, was "not designed to be used for offensive or military operations."

The Starlink network is designed to provide Internet access by deploying a large number of vehicles weighing 260 kilograms. According to SpaceX, it will be able to provide broadband Internet access at 1 gigabit per second, which meets the 5G standard. Since May 2019, SpaceX has put more than 3,200 Starlink satellites into orbit.