In September 2023, allegations spread online that Elon Musk secretly shut down access to Starlink — a satellite internet system operated by Musk's aerospace company SpaceX — in Crimea, Ukraine, the previous year, supposedly to prevent a surprise attack by the Ukrainian military on Russian forces. But the episode reveals the unique position Musk found himself in as the war in Ukraine unfolded. Even as cellular phone and internet networks had been destroyed, the Starlink terminals allowed Ukraine to fight and stay connected. After the allegations about Starlink shutting off access in Crimea took off online, however, Musk responded on X (formally Twitter). Snopes reached out to Isaacson for further details about Musk, Starlink and the Ukraine War, but we have not yet heard back.

Source: Washington Post September 08, 2023 22:36 UTC