Musk Shut Down Starlink Access, Prevents Ukraine From Attacking Russian Navy
A recent Ukrainian plan to attack a Russian naval vessel in the Black Sea was reportedly stopped by Elon Musk — who denied Starlink satellite internet access that would have helped facilitate the attack.
As the war in Ukraine continues to escalate, Ukraine has ramped up its offensive attacks within Russia — with two explosive-laden drone strikes hitting Moscow already this week, prompting renewed concerns of a potential World War III.
Amid Ukraine’s increasing efforts to bring the war to the “territory of Russia,” Musk has allegedly personally intervened to prevent his Starlink technology from being used to aid in long-range drone attacks that would likely cause serious retaliation by Russia on an unknown scale
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi has opined about Musk’s influence over the war — reportedly raising his concerns with Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley after Musk’s latest refusal to help Ukraine in their planned long-distance drone strike on a Russian ship off the coast of Crimea.
Citing unnamed people “familiar with the situation,” the New York Times claimed that Musk has restricted access to Starlink on several occasions throughout the Russia-Ukraine war — as these decisions are the sole discretion of the chief of SpaceX. Alongside the recent decision to prevent Ukraine from targeting the Russian Navy in a drone attack, Starlink was also allegedly blocked off when Ukrainian forces were trying to recapture territory in the Donbas region.
Musk — who has repeatedly expressed support for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine — has previously acknowledged blocking Starlink access in posts on Twitter, noting in a tweet earlier this year: “We are not allowing Starlink to be used for long-range drone strikes.”
At the moment, Starlink is essentially Ukraine’s only option — as the company dominates that sector, comprising around 50% of all active satellites in orbit around Earth. Furthermore, Musk has been providing Ukraine with access to Starlink largely for free since last year — though the Pentagon has reportedly purchased roughly 400-500 terminals to assist in coordinating communications across Ukraine.
“Without Starlink, we cannot fly, we cannot communicate,” an unidentified Ukrainian deputy commander told the New York Times.
The continued strikes against Russia are carried out only because of US and other Western nations’ support. This means that actions by Ukraine could cause strikes against the US, drawing Americans into a war with a dangerous nuclear power.
Musk may have prevented a serious catastrophe by blocking an overzealous Volodymyr Zelenskyy from attacking the Russian military in a way that could have provoked a potentially nuclear retaliation.
