For the first time, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) denounced that “the provision of unauthorized satellite Internet services in the territory of Member States, without obtaining a license and/or authorization (…) constitutes a violation of international telecommunications law”.
The statement is in the Bishkek Declaration on the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the SCO, published after the end of the organization’s summit this Tuesday (01), in the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Although it was not mentioned, the complaint applies to Starlink, a telecommunications subsidiary of Elon Musk’s American SpaceX.
The criticism came shortly after Zelensky awarded Elon Musk the “Order of Freedom of Ukraine” for his “exceptional personal merits”, on the 26th. The gesture was understood in the hegemonic media as a way of convincing the billionaire to authorize the use of the Starlink satellite system on Russian territory for military purposes.
O Financial Times even reported that Musk would be willing to allow Ukraine to use drones guided by Starlink against targets on Russian territory, as long as the decision was approved by the White House. But according to the Kyiv Independentsources close to Musk reportedly stated that he continues to oppose the idea.
The text of the declaration reaffirms the sovereign right of each State to manage the internet at a national level, defends the equal rights of all countries in regulating the network and condemns the militarization of information and communication technologies. In the two years leading up to the summit in Bishkek, China, Russia and Iran, the three members of the SCO, had already publicly expressed their positions on Starlink.
China on the Security Council
On December 29, 2025, during an informal meeting of the UN Security Council, Chinese representative Fu Cong stated that systems such as Starlink are being widely used in military reconnaissance activities, battlefield communications and other operations, having even intervened directly in armed conflicts in other countries, as stated in the official minutes of the intervention released by Beijing. The representative also mentioned the use of Starlink by violent and terrorist groups, separatist forces and transnational fraud networks in Africa, South and Southeast Asia.
China also reported two dangerous maneuvers by Starlink satellites near the Chinese Space Station, forcing emergency diversions. Fu also pointed out that one of the company’s satellites disintegrated in orbit, generating more than a hundred fragments. The Chinese representative demanded that the United States fulfill its obligations under the Outer Space Treaty and reinforce supervision over SpaceX’s commercial activities.
Russia: protests and conflict
In February this year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Turkish agency Anadolu at a press conference, that Starlink “does not provide services” in Russia and that the company “refuses to comply with these requirements” of national authorization and legislation. Zakharova said Russia has “documented numerous cases” of noncompliance and also reported the “illegal use of Starlink subscriber terminals during recent anti-government protests in Iran and Venezuela in 2024.”
The spokesperson also denounced the “involvement of this low-orbit satellite internet system in supporting the combat operations of Ukrainian armed groups and terrorist organizations in Africa and Southeast Asia.”
Russia convened, on December 29, 2025, a meeting of the UN Security Council under the “Arria formula” (informal meeting), according to Zakharova. According to the Russian diplomat, “UN Member States have confirmed the need for operators of satellite internet systems in low orbit to respect the sovereignty and comply with the national legislation of the States in whose territories they provide their services”.
Iran: seizures and signal blocking
Iran, through its Ministry of Intelligence and National Security, stated in March this year that it seized hundreds of Starlink terminals sent by the so-called “American-Zionist enemy” and declared that the purchase and use of illegal Starlink systems is a crime, potentially subjecting offenders to the most severe penalties in times of war, according to information from the state agency. More.
The agency Fars reported that Iran managed to disrupt the Starlink signal in some areas, reducing traffic by more than 80%. With this, Iran would have become the first country to deactivate the service. During the unprovoked attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, the agency Reuters published a report stating that company representatives complained that the Trump administration used terminals valued at 25 thousand dollars (around R$ 140 thousand) per connection, but paying only 5 thousand dollars (around R$ 28 thousand) and that Starlink was used to guide US drones in attacks on Iran.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
