U.S. tech billionaire Elon Musk has made a claim that the entire front line in Ukraine would collapse if he shut off Starlink satellite internet services.
Starlink has played a crucial role in securing communications for Ukraine during the war. Last year, around 42,000 terminals were used across military, hospitals, businesses, and aid organizations.
Musk’s claim comes after reports suggested that the U.S. was planning to cut off Ukraine’s access to Starlink if Kyiv didn’t agree to a deal on critical minerals. However, Musk denied these reports earlier this month.
Recently, there has been tension between the U.S. and Ukraine over peace talks with Russia. The U.S. halted military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine in an attempt to push Kyiv towards negotiations.
Musk proposed imposing sanctions on Ukrainian oligarchs who have mansions in Monaco, in reaction to a post by Republican Senator Mike Lee calling for cutting funding for Ukraine.
A social media user pointed out that Musk ignores the fact that Russia is an aggressor and Ukraine is a victim in the all-out war. In response, Musk said his Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army and that their entire front line would collapse if he turned it off.
Ukrainian officials have said they are working on alternatives to the U.S. service, with French satellite operator Eutelsat Communications discussing a possible replacement for Starlink in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have launched multiple strikes on Ukrainian positions, including an attack on Dobropillia that damaged four apartment buildings. A critical infrastructure facility was also set on fire in Zaporizhzhia Oblast following a drone attack.
Ukraine’s military has downed 73 out of 119 drones launched by Russia overnight, with Russian forces suffering over 1,180 casualties in just one day. The Atesh partisan group sabotaged a railway line linking parts of occupied Crimea with the front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The United States vetoed a proposal to establish a joint task force to tackle sanctions evasion related to Russia’s ‘shadow fleet‘. Australia is considering joining the European-led coalition to support a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine.