Starlink CEOElon Musk reportedly worried about his role in the Ukraine War , prompting him to shut down the planet communications web near Crimea last twelvemonth , according to an excerpt from abiography write by Walter Isaacson , style Elon Musk . In the life story , Isaacson reports that Musk place engineers to turn off the artificial satellite to keep off a “ mini Pearl Harbor ” as Ukraine design an attack on Russia .
Isaacson wrote in his book , which is set to be released by Simon and Schuster next hebdomad , that the day Musk unplug the satellites , Ukraine was aim grinder drones to attack the Russian fleet off the coast of Crimea . But succeed Musk ’s actions , the laggard “ drop off connectivity and wash ashore harmlessly . ”
Musk told Isaacson he based his decision to shut down the satellites on a conversation with older Russian officials , accord to the excerpt from Isaacson ’s book , CNNreported . At the clock time , Musk spoke at a conference in Aspen , appearing to support Russian President Vladimir Putin . “ He was onstage , and he said , ‘ We should be negotiating . Putin want peacefulness — we should be negotiating peace with Putin , ’ ” Reid Hoffman , who helped jump PayPal with Musk toldThe New Yorkerlast month .
Image: KLYONA (Shutterstock)
Musk claim he feared Russia would launch nuclear weapon if Ukraine successfully attack Crimea . “ How am I in this war ? Starlink was not meant to be involved in wars , ” Musk allege , according to Isaacson ’s book . He go on : “ It was so people can catch Netflix and cool down and get online for school and do good peaceable thing , not drone strikes . ”
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine , Mykhailo Fedorov , reportedly urged Musk to re - activate the satellites , tell him in a text message about Starlink ’s capableness . “ I just want you — the person who is changing the world through engineering — to cognize this , ” he said , consort to Isaacson ’s biography . But Musk argued that he would n’t turn the Crimea - based satellites back on because Ukraine “ is now go too far and inviting strategical defeat . ”
Musk supplied about 5,000 Starlink terminals to Ukraineshortly after Russia invaded the state in February of 2022 which became decisive to the land ’s on-going efforts , but voiced concerns that by providing the terminal , Russia would see it as a direct fire . In October last year , Musk request the U.S. governing make up for the terminals in Ukraine or he would keep out them down .
“ My inference was that he was get nervous that Starlink ’s involvement was increasingly seen in Russia as start the Ukrainian war exertion , and was looking for a mode to lenify Russian concerns , ” Colin Kahl , a former U.S. under - secretarial assistant of defense for insurance , tell the New Yorker , speaking about the call with Musk .
The U.S. and European governments were finally able to negotiate a deal with Musk earlier this year , pay for another 100,000 Starlink orbiter dishes to be sent to Ukraine . It ’s unknown whether Musk has reconsider his care over nuclear warfare after receiving such a large bulk order .
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