Musk, who previously called Reuters a ”fataha”, has not said anything about the latest revelations
What you should know
Billionaire Elon Musk, who is also the head of SpaceX, has been drawn into controversy after it was revealed that he ordered the shutdown of the Starlink satellite service in the Kherson region of Ukraine in 2022. It has been found that he asked to stop the satellite based internet service when Ukraine was in the decisive phase of the war. Even now, the communication of the Ukrainian army was affected when the Starlink service was interrupted for two and a half hours on Thursday.
According to the news organization Reuters, at the end of 2022, when Ukraine's campaign to return its lost territory was gaining strength, Ilan asked the senior engineer of his company to stop the service there. When the Ukrainian army was about to encircle the Russian army, the communication between the drones, the artillery and the army was interrupted when the signal suddenly stopped. Quoting a Ukrainian military officer, Reuters wrote, "Because of the lack of communication coordination, the siege came to a complete halt and we ended up failing." It is assumed that behind Musk taking such a decision, there may be a reaction with Russia's possible nuclear weapons . However, SpaceX called this news 'false'. Musk has not given a detailed response on this.
Since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukrainian territory, Starlink's communication service has become very important for the Ukrainian military. In this process, half of the 50,000 terminals that are currently in use have been purchased and provided by Poland. Based on this technology, the Ukrainian army has been maintaining coordination in flying drones, secure communication and war fronts. Musk himself has been claiming, 'If I stop this service, their entire front will collapse.' The global Starlink blackout on Thursday disrupted Ukrainian military communications for more than an hour and a half. Robert Brovdy, the drone commander of the Ukrainian army, said, "The video feed had to be advanced without fighting and it had a direct impact on the war front." He also pointed out the need to prepare an alternative system.
In recent days, Ukraine has taken back some territory . Ukraine has retaken parts of Kherson after US President Donald Trump announced the resumption of US aid in providing long-range weapons. Drone attacks have also intensified in areas under Russian control. According to the Study of War Institute, Ukraine has so far taken back 7 percent of the territory, while about 19 percent of the territory is still under the control of Russia.
Starlink's communication service to the Ukrainian government is worth about 100 million US dollars per month, and Musk's company is providing services worth more than 120 million dollars per year, according to the media. It includes communication services as well as their maintenance and operating expenses . Along with the largest contributor, Poland, America, the then USAD and others were bearing the costs of continuing the communication.
Last year, Musk clashed with the Polish foreign minister on social media after the Starlink controversy. After criticizing the minister, Musk wrote, "You shut up, the expenses you incur are only a part of the specific cost." There is no alternative to Starlink.' Later he assured that the service will not be stopped again. However, the latest revelations have exposed the risks of a tech-billionaire controlling such a serious geopolitical conflict.
Musk, who posted graphics calling Reuters "Fataha" in February, has not said anything about the latest revelation.
