Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, was disabled to impede Ukrainian usage
In the midst of Ukraine's counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, a significant event unfolded that has raised questions about the role of private companies in war zones. According to a Reuters investigation, Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, ordered the shutdown of Starlink satellite internet coverage in certain regions of Ukraine, directly disrupting military operations.
The shutdown occurred in September 2022, primarily in the Kherson Oblast near Beryslav and other Russian-occupied areas, including parts of Donetsk province. This decision caused a loss of connectivity for front-line units, disabled drones, and disrupted artillery coordination, contributing to the failure of Ukraine’s attempt to encircle Russian forces in Kherson[1][2][3].
The motive behind Musk's decision was reportedly a fear of provoking a Russian nuclear response. However, Musk and SpaceX publicly denied ever disabling the terminals, with Musk stating that Starlink would never turn off its terminals despite disagreements with Ukraine policy[1][3].
Despite the outage, Ukrainian forces were able to liberate Kherson and other west-bank settlements in November 2022. This represents a rare known case of a private company CEO exerting direct influence on military communications in an active war zone[1][2][3].
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to seek additional defense capabilities. The Ukrainian parliament is set to vote on a bill next week to restore the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and Kyiv is working on obtaining ten Patriot air defense systems, with commitments from Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands[4].
References: 1. Reuters Investigation: [Link to Reuters article] 2. BBC News Report: [Link to BBC News article] 3. The Verge Article: [Link to The Verge article] 4. Reuters Report on Patriot Systems: [Link to Reuters article]
- The shutdown of Starlink satellite internet coverage, a decision made by Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, in certain regions of Ukraine during the counteroffensive in fall 2022, raised questions about the potential influence of private companies on war-and-conflicts, as it directly disrupted military operations and caused a loss of connectivity for front-line units.
- With the Ukrainian parliament set to vote on a bill next week to restore the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and Kyiv working on obtaining ten Patriot air defense systems with commitments from Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands, it is evident that Ukraine continues to look for alternatives to counter any potential impacts on their military communications in light of the controversial role of private companies like SpaceX, as demonstrated by the Starlink incident.
