Elon Musk refutes claims of shutting down Starlink during Ukraine’s planned attack on Russian fleet

Elon Musk has pushed back against claims made in a recent Wired article, which suggested that SpaceX intentionally disabled its Starlink service to prevent Ukraine from using it in an attack on the Russian fleet. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk called the allegations misleading and clarified the situation.

In an article published today, Wired wrote that Musk has faced criticism for denying Ukraine access to the Starlink satellite network for a surprise attack on Russian forces in Crimea in September 2022. Citing a last year report from the Associated Press, the magazine added that the decision sparked concerns within the Pentagon about the influence a private citizen with a limited grasp of geopolitics could have on U.S. military operations in future conflicts, simply by cutting off Starlink access.

Wired Magazine Falsely Claimed Elon Musk Disabled Starlink to Block Ukraine’s Attack on Russian Fleet.

However, Musk explained that at the time in question, Starlink wasn’t active in Crimea due to U.S. sanctions against Russia. SpaceX received an urgent request from the Ukrainian government late at night to activate Starlink in Crimea, but without approval from the U.S. government, complying would have violated U.S. law.

“The controversial SpaceX founder had previously refused to allow Ukraine to use the satellite constellation to launch a surprise attack against Russian forces in Kremlin-controlled Crimea in September 2022, prompting concerns among Pentagon decisionmakers that a private citizen with a questionable perception of geopolitics could drastically shape US military operations during a future conflict simply by switching off service branches’ Starlink access, according to an Associated Press report last year,” Wired wrote.

“Starlink was barred from turning on satellite beams in Crimea at the time, because doing so would violate U.S. sanctions against Russia,” Musk stated. He emphasized that without the proper permissions, SpaceX couldn’t fulfill Ukraine’s request legally.

Musk also pointed out the distinction between Starlink’s intended use and its potential role in conflict. He reiterated that Starlink is a commercial service meant for communication, not military operations. While it can support military communications, Musk warned that engaging Starlink directly in warfare would shift its classification to a military system, making it a legitimate target for other nations.

This Wired article once again perpetuates the inaccuracy that we turned off Starlink for Ukraine when they wanted to launch an attack on the Russian fleet.

Starlink was barred from turning on satellite beams in Crimea at the time, because doing so would violate US sanctions…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 3, 2024

“We make it clear that Starlink is a commercial system, not a military one,” Musk said. “If we engage in acts of war, then we are making Starlink a military system, and other countries have every right to target our satellites.”

Musk’s comments serve to clarify the legal and ethical challenges companies like SpaceX face when providing services in conflict zones, highlighting the careful balance needed to support communication needs while adhering to international laws.

Founded in 2015 by SpaceX, the aerospace company led by Elon Musk, Starlink provides satellite internet services to over 2 million active users in over 60 countries across all seven continents. What’s so remarkable about this achievement is that, in just four months, Starlink grew from 500,000 users to over 2 million active Starlink subscribers.

Below is Musk’s entire message: 

“This Wired article once again perpetuates the inaccuracy that we turned off Starlink for Ukraine when they wanted to launch an attack on the Russian fleet.

Starlink was barred from turning on satellite beams in Crimea at the time, because doing so would violate US sanctions against Russia!

We received an unexpected request in the middle of the night to activate Starlink in Crimea in a matter of a few hours from the Ukraine government, but received no request or permission to override sanctions from the US government. Had we done as Ukraine asked, it would have been a felony violation of US law.

We also make it clear in our terms of use that Starlink is a commercial system, not a military system. Use of Starlink for communications, including military communications, is fine, just like the military uses the Internet in general, but if we deliberately engage in explicit acts of war, then we are making Starlink a military system and other countries have every right to shoot down our satellites.”