Elon Musk faces allegations of favoring Russia

Elon Musk has been accused of ordering the shutdown of his Starlink satellite communication network near the coast of Crimea last year to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian warships.

Citing a passage from Walter Isaacson's biography, it is revealed how armed Ukrainian drones were closing in on their targets when communication was suddenly cut off.

Allegations have arisen that Musk instructed Starlink engineers to halt service in the area out of fear that Vladimir Putin's Russia would respond to Ukrainian attacks on occupied Crimea with nuclear weapons.

Reports suggest that he aimed to deter the Kremlin from "nuclear brinkmanship" against Ukraine.

While Musk has faced previous accusations of suspending Starlink communications, this marks the first instance where he has been implicated in disconnecting communication during a specific operation involving Ukrainian forces.

The exact date of the incident remains unclear, but Musk referred to it as the "Pearl Harbor," even though Ukrainian forces were operating deep within internationally recognized territorial waters.

Tesla electric car company, SpaceX rocket and spacecraft manufacturer, and social media platform X's CEO initially supported restoring Starlink hardware to aid Ukraine, but after the successful thwarting of the initial Russian attack and the launch of a retaliatory campaign, he had a change of heart.

During an interview with Isaacson, Musk humorously asked, "How am I doing in this war?" and suggested that Starlink's mission was not to participate in conflicts but to prevent drone attacks, allowing for online education and facilitating good things.

Both SpaceX and Tesla declined to comment on the matter in response to requests for clarification.

Last week's investigation by the European Commission revealed that Musk's ownership had significantly boosted the reach and influence of Kremlin-backed accounts, particularly by ending Twitter's protective standards.