Tesla will pay its Ukrainian employees for 3 months if they are called to defend country: report
After three months, Tesla plans to reassess the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine
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Ukrainian Tesla employees who are conscripted to fight against the Russian invasion in Ukraine will continue to be paid by the company for at least three months, according to a report.
The decision was announced in a company email sent Monday to Tesla employees in Europe, Africa, and Middle East regions, CNBC reported.
After three months, Tesla plans to reassess the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine -- including the situation of employees -- to see if more will be needed, the report said.
A Tesla charging station in a Tesla showroom features the manufacturer's logo in Berlin on Aug. 19, 2021. (Photo by Christophe Gateau/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
It was not immediately clear from the email if the pay benefits would be extended to North America and elsewhere.
Fox News has reached out to Tesla for additional information.
Last month, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called up the country’s reservists, which reportedly number around 900,000. Outside of volunteers, Zelenskyy also banned men of military age from 18 to 60 from leaving the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gestures during a joint press conference with French President following their meeting in Kyiv on February 8, 2022. ((Photo by Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images))
In Monday's email – sent on the 12th day of the Russian invasion – Tesla employees were praised for helping SpaceX bring its Starlink satellite internet service to Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.
Starlink is a network of about 2,000 satellites in low earth orbit that provide high-speed broadband internet by connecting with user terminals on the ground. The satellite internet service does not rely on traditional ground internet infrastructure, which could potentially make it an ideal service in war zones.
TESLA OFFERING FREE CHARGING NEAR UKRAINE TO HELP EVACUEES
Elon Musk previously warned the Starlink system could face a Russian cyberattack, as other internet infrastructures, like Viasat Ukraine, were taken down by Russian cyberattacks.
This long-exposure image shows a trail of a group of SpaceX's Starlink satellites passing over Uruguay as seen from the countryside some 185 km north of Montevideo near Capilla del Sauce, Florida Department, on February 7, 2021. (Photo by Mariana Suarez/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Almost all Viasat Ukraine user terminals were rendered permanently unusable by a Russian cyberattack on day of invasion, so … yes," Musk wrote on Twitter last week when asked if his system could face a cyber threat."
On Wednesday, Ukraine's Vice premier Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine received the second shipment of Starlink satellite terminals.
"Received the second shipment of Starlink stations! @elonmusk keeps his word! Thank you for supporting Ukraine and peace in the entire world," he wrote on Twitter.
Tesla previously said it was opening up some of its supercharging stations near Ukraine to assist in the evacuation of the war-torn country.
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Automakers such as General Motors and Ford have already suspended their business in Russia.