Elon Musk, according to his biographer, prevented a Ukrainian attack on the Russian fleet based in Crimea by suddenly cutting off access to Starlink.
Starlink has been used since the start of the war by the Ukrainians to replace the normal internet network, largely destroyed by Russian operations. In the past, this collaboration has also been the source of several frictions between kyiv and its owner, Elon Musk. And this, in proportions that we did not even imagine!
A Pearl Harbor syndrome?
Elon Musk is not only the boss of X.com (ex-Twitter), Tesla and Starship. It is also, despite itself, an actor in the current war between Ukraine and Russia, because of its satellite Internet network widely used by the Kievan forces. But this support has not only good to bring to the people of Volodymyr Zelenski.
According to an extract from the biography of Elon Musk written by Walter Isaacson, to be published on September 12, the billionaire would have aborted an attack by Ukrainian underwater drones against the Russian fleet anchored in Crimea. It was enough to cut off access to Starlink to make these drones inoperable.
For the richest man in the world, this decision was necessary, because he feared that Moscow would experience such an attack as a ” mini Pearl Harbor and responds accordingly with nuclear fire. A reflection fueled by discussions with senior Russian leaders.
Elon Musk’s reluctance
We do not know when exactly this operation took place, except that it would have taken place last year. If Elon Musk’s intervention obviously particularly irritated the Ukrainian side, it is a continuation of the declarations of the American businessman, who has always refused that Starlink be used for offensive purposes. It has already taken measures to limit the military use of its network.
Starlink is built “ so people can watch Netflix, relax, connect to school and do peaceful things, not drone strikes », Says the man of South African origin in his biography. A position of caution, especially since some countries around the world are starting to see Starlink as a potential weapon in the hands of the United States, which might one day have to be destroyed in the event of conflict.
Sources: BFM TV, CNN
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