Elon Musk Killed Starlink Over Ukraine, Hurting a Counteroffensive Against Russia: Reuters
(Susan Walsh/AP photo)
Elon Musk reportedly ordered a Starlink communications shutdown over parts of Ukraine during a pivotal 2022 counteroffensive, causing confusion on the battlefield and impeding military operations to retake Russian-held territory, according to Reuters.
Three sources familiar with the incident claimed to the outlet that Musk directed a senior SpaceX engineer in California to cut service across areas occupied by Russian troops. The move, previously unreported, allegedly took place in late September 2022 as Ukrainian forces surged toward the strategic region of Kherson.
“We have to do this,” the engineer, Michael Nicolls, reportedly told colleagues. The order led to at least 100 terminals going dark, disrupting drone surveillance, artillery strikes, and battlefield communications at a critical moment. Ukrainian troops had attempted to surround Russian forces in Beryslav but were thrown into disarray by the alleged blackout.
One Ukrainian military official told the outlet: “The encirclement stalled entirely. It failed.”
One of the sources noted that the decision rattled engineers who became aware of Musk’s ability to take “the outcome of a war into his own hands.”
The exact timing, duration, and motivation behind Musk’s order remain unclear. However, all three sources conveyed their belief the decision was driven by Musk’s later-stated fears that Ukrainian advances might trigger a nuclear response from Russia.
A SpaceX spokesperson, responding by email to Reuters, called the report “inaccurate” and pointed to a prior X post from this year stating: “Starlink is fully committed to providing service to Ukraine.”
The spokesperson did not clarify what specifically was inaccurate, nor did they answer detailed questions about the incident, Starlink’s role in the Ukraine war, or broader business operations.
Neither Musk nor Nicholls responded to Reuters’ request for comment. Likewise, Ukraine’s presidential office and Defense Ministry have not responded to the claims.
In recent years Starlink has become embedded in multiple battlefield operations across the world and in Ukraine its terminals have become essential for both civil and military activity since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
