Russia-Ukraine live updates: Humanitarian costs mount as Kremlin pushes south; radiation levels stable after nuclear plant fire

Elon Musk on Thursday advised Ukrainian users of his satellite-based Internet service Starlink to operate the system only when needed, and to place antennas “as far away from people as possible,” over concerns the Russian military could pick up the system’s signals and target them.

The remarks from the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX come as Starlink hardware arrived in Ukraine this week, following Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov’s Feb. 26 Twitter entreaty for Musk to provide the service.

He replied in under 12 hours: “Starlink service is now active in Ukraine. More terminals en route.”

But after repeated warnings from Internet security experts that Russian forces invading Ukraine could identify Starlink signals and fire at them, Musk posted a cautionary tweet: “Important warning: Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine, so probability of being targeted is high. Please use with caution.”

Fedorov said he would heed the warning. “Sure @elonmusk. We are going to use them for Ukrainians also after our victory,” he tweeted.

Russia has tracked satellite communications to target battlefield enemies in recent conflicts going back to its war with Chechen forces in the 1990s, John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab research center, wrote on Twitter. In the 2010s, Russia gained experience in spotting, geo-locating, then launching missiles at satellite Internet terminals run by the Islamic State and others in Syria, he added.

Using satellite Internet could mean painting a target for Russian forces, Scott-Railton said. Musk’s warning for Starlink users is “the responsible thing” to do, he said on Thursday.

Musk also said he would be updating the Starlink software to reduce peak power consumption, so the system could be powered from a car cigarette lighter. He added that mobile roaming would be enabled so signals could be maintained from a moving vehicle.

Musk was responding to Fedorov, who had asked for help with generators that could keep Starlink systems and lifesaving services online, citing concerns that they could be disabled by Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson early Friday demanded that Russia “cease its attack” on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and said he would seek an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council “in the coming hours” to discuss the fire at Europe’s largest nuclear plant in terms of power generation capacity.

London will also immediately raise the issue with Moscow, Downing Street said in a statement.

The remarks came shortly after a phone call between Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine said Russian forces had shelled the site, though the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog later said the blaze had not affected “essential” equipment and that Ukraine’s regulator reported no change in surrounding radiation levels.

Russia has isolated two port cities and is moving toward other population centers a week into its full-blown invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that an explosion at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant could spell the “end of Europe,” and accused Russian soldiers of deliberately targeting the site.

“Europeans, wake up please,” Zelensky said in a video posted on Facebook early morning Friday local time. “Tell your politicians, Russian forces are shooting at the nuclear plant in Ukraine.”

Zelensky referred to the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl plant, saying just one reactor exploded at the time while Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has six. Authorities have said the facility’s nuclear safety is “ensured” for now and there are no reported changes in radiation levels. Three of the reactors at Zaporizhzhia are disconnected.

Zelensky, who has consistently delivered video remarks during the Russian invasion of his country, said he had spoken with foreign leaders including President Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and “issued a warning” that Russia was committing “nuclear terror.”

“If there is an explosion it is the end for everyone,” he said. “End to Europe. It’s the evacuation of entire Europe. Only immediate action can stop the Russian troops. Do not let Europe die in the nuclear catastrophe.”