American billionaire Elon Musk has ordered the Starlink satellite communication to be shut down during Ukraine's counteroffensive in 2022 due to fears that the aggressor country of russia will use nuclear weapons. This was reported by Reuters on Friday, July 25.
In late September 2022, Musk gave an order that thwarted Ukraine's counteroffensive and "undermined Kyiv's trust in Starlink", which helped the Ukrainian military maintain communications on the battlefield. According to information from Ukrainian military sources, Musk said to limit coverage in the Kherson Region and Kherson, in the Donetsk Region.
"Ukraine's counteroffensive eventually recaptured Beryslav, the city of Kherson, and a portion of additional territory occupied by russia. But Musk's previously unreported order is the first known instance of the billionaire actively disabling Starlink coverage on the battlefield during a conflict. The decision shocked some Starlink employees and effectively changed the front lines of hostilities, allowing Musk to take "the outcome of the war into his own hands," the report says.
At least a hundred Starlink terminals were deactivated as a result of Musk's order, which prevented Ukrainian forces from encircling russian positions in the city of Beryslav in the Kherson Region and "stalled" the offensive. According to sources close to the billionaire, he feared a nuclear response from russia.
In addition, in 2023, SpaceX said it had taken some measures to prevent Ukraine from using Starlink for attack with drones. "Our intention was never for them to use it offensively," said Gwynne Shotwell, the company's president.
At the same time, Musk stated that Moscow has repeatedly tried to block satellite communications, and SpaceX "is spending significant resources to combat russian jamming efforts." Reuters writes that Musk boasted about the importance of Starlink for Ukraine. "My Starlink system is the foundation of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line will collapse if I turn it off," the billionaire said.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on the evening of July 24, there was a large-scale failure in the operation of the Starlink satellite Internet around the world.
Recall, in March, Elon Musk promised that he would not turn off the terminals of the Starlink satellite Internet system for Ukraine.
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