--- title: "Elon Musk Secretly Manipulated Starlink to Hamstring Ukrainian Attack Against Russia" description: "Elon Musk intentionally hamstrung SpaceX's Starlink network to thwart a Ukrainian attack on Russia's naval fleet near the Crimean coast." date: "2023-09-07" modified: "2023-09-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-manipulated-starlink-ukrainian-attack-russia" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # Elon Musk Secretly Manipulated Starlink to Hamstring Ukrainian Attack Against Russia ![Elon Musk intentionally hamstrung SpaceX's Starlink network to thwart a Ukrainian attack on Russia's naval fleet near the Crimean coast.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Lost Connectivity SpaceX CEO Elon Musk intentionally hamstrung the space company's Starlink satellite network to [thwart a Ukrainian attack]() on Russia's naval fleet near the Crimean coast, according to a new biography of the billionaire by author Walter Isaacson. It's a shocking new revelation that paints a troubling picture of Musk's alliances. It also goes to show the [immense amount of power Musk holds]() over international conflict — a terrifying prospect, given his often kneejerk and infamously unpredictable nature. ## Power Broker Ukrainian submarine drones were about to rush a Russian fleet in a harbor but "lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly," Isaacson wrote in his new book titled "Elon Musk," which is [due to ]()[be released next week](). Meanwhile, Musk backed up his decision, citing the dangers of triggering a "mini-Pearl Harbor" and arguing that Russia may have responded to the attack with nuclear weapons. In early 2022, SpaceX [started shipping out]() tens of thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukrainians on the front lines, giving them almost unfettered connectivity. Musk, however, soon [became weary]() of the increasing bills SpaceX had to shoulder, [tweeting]() that it was "unreasonable" for the company to keep supporting the growing data usage. He also reportedly met with Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to a recent [*New Yorker* feature](), which may have further shifted his motivations — though Musk later [denied that claim](). ## Drone's Disease Starlink quickly became an important military asset for Ukrainian warfighters, a reality that clearly caught Musk by surprise. "How am I in this war?" he asked Isaacson. "Starlink was not meant to be involved in wars. It was so people can watch Netflix and chill and get online for school and do good peaceful things, not drone strikes." But whether he wants to be or not, Musk has become an important power broker in the conflict — a strange development that's now affecting us all, whether we like it or not. **More on the situation:** *[Elon Musk Is Apparently Making the US Government Quite Nervous]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()