Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he’s been threatened by Russia over his attempts to provide Ukraine with internet service.
Musk, 50, has been using Starlink, a constellation of more than 2,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, beaming internet connections to dishes around the world, with a large presence in Ukraine, introduced to keep the country online amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
The billionaire said they had ‘resisted hacking and jamming attempts’ from the Russians back in April and were focusing SpaceX efforts on counter measures – at the expense of other projects.
Musk tweeted out information provided by Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, to the Russian media on Sunday night.
Rogozin accuses Musk of giving Starlink equipment to what they refer to as the ‘Nazi Azov Battalion’ as well as branches of the Ukrainian military.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he’s been threatened by Russia over his attempts to provide Ukraine with internet service
Musk tweeted out information provided by Dmitry Rogozin (pictured), the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, to the Russian media on Sunday night
Musk, 50, has been using Starlink, a constellation of more than 2,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, beaming internet connections to dishes around the world, with a large presence in Ukraine, introduced to keep the country online amid the ongoing Russian invasion
‘Elon Musk is thus involved with supplying the fascist forces in Ukraine with military communications,’ Rogozin adds. ‘And for this you will have to answer in an adult way, Elon, no matter how much you’ll play the fool.’
As well as responding to attacks, officials say Starlink is giving Ukrainian forces the edge in winning the drone war as the nation fights back with technology to track down invading Russians.
The billionaire responded, as he often does, with his tongue pressed firmly in cheek.
‘The word ‘Nazi’ doesn’t mean what he seems to think it does,’ Musk tweeted.
He then added: ‘If I die under mysterious circumstances, it’s been nice knowin’ ya.’
Many of Musk’s fans responded to the missive, including his own mother, Maye Musk.
‘That’s not funny,’ Musk’s mother wrote with a few angry-faced emojis to go along with it.
Many of Musk’s fans responded to a tweet suggesting he might die under mysterious circumstances, including his own mother, Maye Musk
‘Sorry! I will do my best to stay alive,’ Musk replied.
SpaceX has launched more than 2,000 of its ‘Starlink’ space internet satellites into orbit and hopes to have 12,000 in the sky by 2026.
They form a constellation designed to provide low-cost broadband internet service from low Earth orbit.
While satellite internet has been around for a while, it has suffered from high latency and unreliable connections.
Starlink is different. SpaceX said its goal is to provide high-speed, cable-like internet all over the world.
Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Musk for the support, and invited the tech mogul to visit Ukraine once the war is over
Musk has previously challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to a fistfight as he remains on the side of Ukraine amid the invasion
Musk has previously said the venture could give three billion people who currently do not have access to the internet a cheap way of getting online.
It could also help fund a future city on Mars.
The so-far-successful implementation of the satellites into the defense of war-torn Ukraine makes good on a promise outspoken mogul Musk – who challenged Putin to a fist fight for the future of Ukraine earlier this week – made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the month, that SpaceX will send more Starlink satellite stations to provide internet to some of the country’s stricken cities.
The president of the embattled country took to Twitter to thank the Tesla CEO, for the support, and invited the tech mogul to visit Ukraine once the war is over.
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