Author clarifies Elon Musk did not cut Ukraine’s access to Starlink.
Author Corrects Mischaracterization of Elon Musk’s Actions in Ukraine
Author Walter Isaacson has set the record straight regarding a media narrative that emerged last week surrounding SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s donation of Starlink’s satellite communications to the Ukrainian military. The controversy began when an excerpt from Isaacson’s upcoming book “Elon Musk” was published by The Washington Post, falsely claiming that Musk had personally shut down Ukraine’s Starlink to prevent a major attack on the Russian Navy.
However, Isaacson has since clarified the situation, correcting the mischaracterization. The Washington Post issued a correction, and Isaacson himself addressed the issue on X, the platform owned by Musk. The corrected version now accurately reflects the events:
“Throughout the evening and into the night, he personally took charge of the situation. Allowing the use of Starlink for the attack, he concluded, could be a disaster for the world. So he secretly told his engineers to turn off coverage within 100 kilometers of the Crimean coast. As a result, when the Ukrainian drone subs got near the Russian fleet in Sevastopol, they lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly.”
“When the Ukrainian military noticed that Starlink was disabled in and around Crimea, Musk got frantic calls and texts asking him to turn the coverage back on. Fedorov, the deputy prime minister who had originally enlisted his help, secretly shared with him the details of how the drone subs were crucial to their fight for freedom. ‘We made the sea drones ourselves, they can destroy any cruiser or submarine,’ he texted using an encrypted app. ’I did not share this information with anyone. I just want you — the person who is changing the world through technology — to know this.'”
The initial excerpt sparked intense criticism of Musk in the media, but the correction has now clarified the true sequence of events. Isaacson’s book and The Washington Post’s correction both confirm that Musk had already disabled Starlink’s coverage near Crimea before the attack took place. When the Ukrainians discovered this, they requested Musk to activate the coverage, but he refused, fearing it could escalate into a major war.
In a tweet, Isaacson further explained the situation: “To clarify on the Starlink issue: the Ukrainians THOUGHT coverage was enabled all the way to Crimea, but it was not. They asked Musk to enable it for their drone sub attack on the Russian fleet. Musk did not enable it, because he thought, probably correctly, that would cause a major war.”
Isaacson later admitted his own mistake, acknowledging that he had misunderstood the timing of the policy to not allow Starlink for an attack on Crimea. He clarified that the policy had been implemented earlier, and on the night of the Ukrainian attempted sneak attack, Musk simply reaffirmed it.
With these corrections, the true account of Musk’s actions in Ukraine has been clarified, dispelling the earlier mischaracterizations.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
