Elon Musk's Bold Move: Prevents Ukrainian Attack on Russian Navy Base with Starlink Shutdown

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has claimed that he prevented a Ukrainian attack on a Russian Navy base last year by declining Kyiv's request to activate Internet access in the Black Sea near Crimea. The request came after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and there were concerns that the activation of Starlink, operated by Musk-owned company SpaceX, would be used to guide Ukrainian drones to attack the Russian fleet in Sevastopol.

Musk stated that he refused the request as he did not want SpaceX to be complicit in an act of war or conflict escalation. In an excerpt from an upcoming biography by Walter Isaacson, it was revealed that six small drone submarines packed with explosives were being guided by Starlink towards the Russian fleet in Sevastopol.

However, Musk secretly told his engineers to turn off coverage within 100 kilometers of the Crimean coast, causing the drones to lose connectivity and wash ashore harmlessly. Musk countered Isaacson's account, stating that the Starlink regions in question were not activated and SpaceX did not deactivate anything.

Nevertheless, Russia's former President Dmitry Medvedev praised Musk for his actions, expressing concern about a potential nuclear response if the Ukrainian attack were to proceed. Musk also called for a truce in the conflict, voicing his belief that the loss of lives over small pieces of land with barely changing borders is not worth it.

He urged both sides to agree to a ceasefire. SpaceX's Starlink satellite network has been deployed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war in 2022, providing internet services to Ukrainians and the military. The Pentagon confirmed that they have a contract with SpaceX to purchase satellite services for Ukraine.

However, the Department declined to comment on Musk's decision, stating their commitment to working closely with the commercial industry to provide the necessary capabilities for Ukraine's defense.