Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, looks on as he attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023.
Gonzalo Fuentes | Reuters
WASHINGTON — A Ukrainian official slams Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, for allegedly shutting off Starlink’s satellite network to prevent a Ukrainian attack on Russian warships in Crimea. This revelation comes from a new biography on Musk by Walter Isaacson.
During an interview, Musk questioned his involvement in the conflict, saying, “How am I in this war?” Musk’s Starlink terminals arrived in Ukraine during the early days of Russia’s invasion, but he later became disillusioned with the situation.
Musk expressed his frustration, stating that Starlink was intended for peaceful purposes like entertainment and education, not military actions. He feared that the Ukrainian attack on Russian vessels would escalate into a nuclear war. Isaacson’s book, titled “Elon Musk,” will be released soon.
In response to the revelations, a top aide to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Musk for the consequences of his actions. Mykhailo Podolyak claimed that Musk’s interference allowed Russian warships to launch missiles, resulting in civilian casualties. Podolyak expressed his disapproval on social media.
Crimea, a region that Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, is home to the Russian Black Sea warships. Following Russia’s invasion, the fleet bombarded Ukrainian coastal cities and imposed a naval blockade.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s digital minister, requested Starlink’s assistance from Musk on Twitter. Fedorov later confirmed that Starlink had arrived in Ukraine, sharing a photo of the equipment.
Starlink, which consists of over 4,000 satellites, provides internet service to more than 50 countries. In Ukraine, Starlink has played a crucial role in battlefield communications.
Isaacson noted that Musk’s decision was discussed with President Joe Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley.
In a text conversation with Fedorov, Musk expressed concern that Ukraine’s attack would lead to a major escalation and strategic defeat. He refused to be involved in such a situation.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
