Musk Temporarily Blocks Starlink Supporting Ukraine... Concerns Over Nuclear War Escalation

Elon Musk Biographer "Ordered Starlink Blockade"
Fact-Checking Likely to Spark Controversy Inside and Outside Ukraine

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, which operates the company and supported Ukraine with the satellite communication system Starlink, is facing growing controversy after it was revealed that he ordered the shutdown of Starlink during a Ukrainian military operation, causing the mission to fail. Musk's biographer disclosed in an upcoming book that Musk gave such an order out of concern over a nuclear war escalation, while Musk and SpaceX have reportedly not yet responded to requests for comment.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 7th (local time), CNN reported excerpts from Musk's biography written by author Walter Isaacson, revealing that Musk ordered the shutdown of the Starlink system during some Ukrainian military operations, which led to the failure of those missions. Isaacson's biography of Musk is set to be published soon.

According to the excerpts CNN cited, last year, when the Ukrainian military deployed a submarine drone equipped with explosives to launch a surprise attack on the Russian naval fleet, Musk secretly instructed Starlink engineers to disable the Starlink satellite communication network along the coast of the Crimean Peninsula. As a result, the submarine drone lost communication with command and failed to hit the target fleet, drifting ashore instead, Isaacson revealed in the biography.

Isaacson explained in the biography, "Musk made this decision because he was extremely afraid that Russia would respond with nuclear weapons to Ukraine's attack on Crimea," adding, "This was triggered by conversations with senior Russian officials."

If these details prove true, it would reveal that Musk illegally intervened in the Ukraine war using the Starlink system, which is expected to cause significant controversy. CNN reported that Musk and SpaceX have not responded to requests for comment on this matter.

Previously, the Starlink system greatly aided the Ukrainian military's counterattacks after Ukraine's communication networks collapsed due to Russian airstrikes in February last year. Despite the destruction of major communication facilities, Ukraine was able to use Starlink for mobile phone communication and internet access, allowing its command structure to remain intact and continue counteroffensive operations.

However, as Ukraine began using Starlink to attack Russia, Musk reportedly reconsidered his decision, according to Isaacson's biography. The biography states that Musk asked himself, "How should I be in this war?" and said, "Starlink was not created for war or drone attacks but for people to watch Netflix, attend online classes, and use it for peaceful purposes."

CNN pointed out, "This episode shows the unique position Musk found himself in as the Ukraine war unfolded," adding, "Whether intentionally or not, he has become a power broker that U.S. officials cannot ignore."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.