Elon Musk Prevented Ukrainian Attack on Russian Navy Base, Claims Biographer
Washington – In a startling revelation, tech billionaire Elon Musk has claimed that he prevented a Ukrainian attack on a Russian Navy base last year. Musk stated that he declined Kyiv’s request to activate internet access in the Black Sea near Moscow-annexed Crimea, effectively blocking the attack. The satellite internet service Starlink, operated by Musk-owned company SpaceX, has been deployed in Ukraine since shortly after the country was invaded by Russia in February 2022.
According to Musk’s post on X, formerly named Twitter, there was an emergency request from government authorities to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol, the base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Musk alleged that the request’s intent was to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor. However, Musk refused to comply, stating that agreeing to the request would make SpaceX explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.
The revelation came in response to an excerpt from an upcoming biography of Musk by Walter Isaacson, published by The Washington Post. Isaacson wrote that in September last year, the Ukrainian military attempted a sneak attack on the Russian naval fleet based in Sevastopol in Crimea using six small drone submarines packed with explosives, guided by Starlink. Musk had supposedly spoken to the Russian ambassador to the United States, who warned of a nuclear response if Ukraine attacked Crimea.
Isaacson further claimed that Musk secretly instructed his engineers to turn off coverage within 100 kilometers of the Crimean coast, effectively disabling the Ukrainian drone submarines. However, Musk countered this account, stating that the Starlink regions in question were not activated and that SpaceX did not deactivate anything.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s ex-president and senior security official, praised Musk for his alleged actions, expressing gratitude for his concern about a retaliatory nuclear strike. Medvedev’s post on X described Musk as “the last adequate mind in North America” and commended him for having the “balls” to take such action.
Musk also called for a truce in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, emphasizing the loss of Ukrainian and Russian lives over small pieces of land. The technology mogul has previously sparked controversy with his proposals to deescalate the conflict, including acknowledging Russian sovereignty over Crimea.
In October 2022, Musk had initially suggested that SpaceX would stop funding the use of Starlink by Ukraine. However, he reversed this decision after the U.S. military confirmed its communication with SpaceX regarding possible government funding for Ukraine’s continued use of the satellite network.
As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues, Musk’s alleged intervention showcases the growing role of technology in geopolitical conflicts and the power wielded by tech billionaires like Elon Musk.