A furious Ukrainian official has lashed out at SpaceX and Starlink founder Elon Musk for refusing to grant access to satellites that undermined a covert attack on Russia.
Musk’s low-orbit satellites have provided critical internet access to the Eastern European country since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
However, the Tesla CEO has been keen not to take sides in the conflict and has refused to use his technology as an asset in the conflict.
According to Musk’s biographer, that means the Twitter owner ordered satellite communications turned off during a covert operation in Ukraine off the coast of Russia’s Crimea.
In an excerpt seen by CNN, Musk biographer Walter Isaacson wrote that Ukrainian drones laden with explosives were heading towards a Russian naval fleet before the tech giant gave the order. drive away. When communications were lost, the drone “lost connection and washed ashore harmlessly”.
Isaacson reported that Musk was trying to avoid a “mini Pearl Harbor,” asking, “How am I doing in this war?”
But the decision of the world’s richest man – whose innovations, whether he likes it or not, has shaped the course of the war – has been slammed by a Ukrainian official eager to try and even take on Putin.
“Sometimes a mistake is not just a mistake,” said Mikhailo Podolak, a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Posted on X– formerly known as Twitter.
He added: “By not allowing Ukrainian drones to destroy part of the Russian military (!) fleet #starlink put one’s oar in, @elonmusk Allow this fleet to fire Caliber missiles at Ukrainian cities. As a result, civilians and children were killed.
“This is the price of a cocktail of ignorance and arrogance. However, the question remains: Why are some people so desperate to defend war criminals and their desire to kill?
“Do they now realize that they are doing evil and promoting evil?”
Reaching Musk through the X press office did not immediately respond wealth Request for comment.
“SpaceX will explicitly engage in a major act of war”
Musk denied his call to disrupt the military exercises.
Writing in X, the Boring Company founder said he didn’t withdraw satellite access to Crimea, he just denied it in the first place.
Responding to a post claiming he had instructed engineers to deactivate Starlink satellites in the area, Musk responded: “The relevant Starlink area is not activated. SpaceX is not deactivating anything.”
While war tactics — especially covert operations like the one above — are often highly classified, Musk went a step further to unravel the truth about the operation and confirm the Ukrainian conspiracy.
The relevant Starlink area is not activated. SpaceX isn’t deactivating anything.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 7, 2023
“Government authorities issued an urgent request to activate Starlink direct to Sevastopol,” Musk added. “The apparent intent was to sink most of the moored Russian fleet.
“If I accede to their demands, then SpaceX will clearly engage in a major act of war and escalation.”
In the incident, Musk found himself inadvertently gaining power in a conflict in which he was apparently consulting with Ukrainian and U.S. officials.
In Isaacson’s biography, which will be released on Sept. 12, Musk reportedly thought Ukraine’s retaliation was “too much” and didn’t want a direct link to the counteroffensive.
X subsidiary Starlink has so far spent tens of millions of dollars supporting Ukraine, according to Musk.In October last year he said satellite bill Terminal value will exceed $100 million by 2022, before adding: “To hell with it…we’ll keep funding the Ukrainian government for free.”
“totally inappropriate”
While some of Musk’s supporters on the platform supported his decision, others argued that Musk — an unelected figure who now plays a major role in global conflicts — was unqualified to make such a call .
Continuing the conversation on the social media site it acquired last year for $44 billion, the entrepreneur called for a truce between Ukraine and Russia: “Every day, more young Ukrainians and Russians are dying to gain and lose a small piece of land, Little has changed on the border. It’s not worth their lives.”
Others point to Russia’s history of escalating incursions, noting that Ukraine is merely defending itself against an enemy invasion.
“Elon, you make great cars (and make a lot of money) but that doesn’t make you in any way entitled to turn the tide in the Ukrainian people’s existential struggle for freedom,” responded Bill BrowderHuman rights activist and chief executive of investment fund Hermitage Capital Management added: “Russia started this war and Ukraine is defending itself. Your demand for surrender is completely inappropriate.”
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