Tesla CEO Elon Musk has refuted recent media claims that he supports Russia in its war against Ukraine, asserting that without his Starlink satellite network, Kyiv might have fallen on the first day of the invasion. Musk emphasized that supporting Ukraine came at great risk to SpaceX, given potential cyber and physical threats from Russia.
“A major factor for why Ukraine was NOT overrun by Russia is the Starlink support I provided, at great risk to SpaceX cyber & physical attack by Russian military forces,” Musk posted on X. Musk described Starlink as the “backbone” of Ukrainian military communications on the front lines, as Russian forces have damaged or jammed other systems. Musk also shared links supporting his alignment with Ukraine, highlighting his contribution of hundreds of Starlink terminals to bolster Ukrainian battlefield communications.
A major factor for why Ukraine was NOT overrun by Russia is the Starlink support I provided, at great risk to @SpaceX cyber & physical attack by Russian military forces.
Starlink is the BACKBONE of Ukrainian military communications at the front lines, because everything else… https://t.co/FCTKlNN9pQ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2024
Musk’s response came after a Wall Street Journal report alleged that he had been in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022. According to the report, conversations between Musk and Putin raised national security concerns within the Biden administration. Additionally, sources claimed Putin had requested that Musk refrain from activating Starlink over Taiwan as a gesture to Xi Jinping, China’s leader and Putin ally.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, a Republican candidate, was asked about Musk’s reported interactions with Putin. Trump responded that he was unaware of Musk’s communications with the Russian leader, but he called Musk “one of our geniuses” and emphasized the importance of protecting American innovators like him.