Elon Musk admits he stopped Ukraine from wiping out Russian fleet by denying Starlink access
- The tech billionaire says he did so to avoid becoming ‘explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation’
- Musk’s admission drew a furious response from Kyiv and raises questions about whether the satellite-based internet service can be counted on
US tech billionaire Elon Musk says he prevented Ukraine from wiping out Russia’s Black Sea navy fleet last year by denying Starlink internet access – a revelation that prompted a furious response from Kyiv on Friday.
The satellite-based communications system Starlink, operated by Musk-owned company SpaceX, has been deployed in Ukraine since shortly after the country was invaded by Russia in February 2022.
The network, which helps increasingly hi-tech soldiers to operate in areas where other means of communication are down, is a key battlefield tool for Kyiv.
But the admission by Musk – who has previously angered Ukraine with proposals including validating Russia’s claim to sovereignty over the occupied Crimea region – raises questions about whether Starlink can be fully counted on by Kyiv.
The incident in question revolves around a dramatic plan by Ukraine to cripple Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet based in Sevastopol, a strategic harbour in Crimea, which Moscow occupied and claimed to annex in 2014.