Elon Musk directly ordered the shutdown of Starlink satellite internet services during a crucial Ukrainian military counteroffensive in September 2022, causing a communications blackout that contributed to the failure of an operation to reclaim Russian-held territory, according to a Reuters investigation.
The billionaire’s previously unreported intervention allowed him to “take the outcome of a war into his own hands,” shocking SpaceX employees and raising serious questions about private sector influence over military conflicts involving sovereign nations.
The Fatal Order
During Ukraine’s pivotal push to retake the strategically vital Kherson region in late September 2022, Musk instructed a senior engineer at SpaceX’s California headquarters to cut Starlink coverage across areas Ukraine was attempting to liberate from Russian occupation.
We have to do this,” Michael Nicolls, the Starlink engineer, told colleagues upon receiving Musk’s order, according to three sources familiar with the command who spoke to Reuters.
SpaceX staff complied with the directive, deactivating at least 100 Starlink terminals. Their hexagon-shaped coverage cells went dark on the company’s internal maps, cutting communications not only in Kherson but also extending to Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk province.
Battlefield Chaos
The communications blackout created immediate and devastating consequences for Ukrainian forces conducting the counteroffensive. Ukrainian troops suddenly faced a communications blackout, according to a Ukrainian military official, an advisor to the armed forces, and two others who experienced Starlink failure near the front lines. Soldiers panicked, drones surveilling Russian forces went dark, and long-range artillery units, reliant on Starlink to aim their fire, struggled to hit targets.
The disruption proved catastrophic for a planned encirclement operation. As a result, the Ukrainian military official and the military advisor said, troops failed to surround a Russian position in the town of Beryslav, east of Kherson, the administrative center of the region of the same name. “The encirclement stalled entirely,” said the military official in an interview. “It failed.”
Despite this setback, Ukrainian forces eventually succeeded in liberating Kherson city and surrounding territories in November 2022, but Musk’s intervention had already undermined a critical early phase of the operation.
Nuclear Escalation Fears
Sources suggest Musk’s decision stemmed from fears that rapid Ukrainian advances might provoke a nuclear response from Russia. Reuters’ sources claim Musk’s decision stemmed from fears that a successful Ukrainian advance might provoke a Russian nuclear response.
A former White House official indicated that some American officials shared similar concerns about potential Russian escalation during this period, though the extent of coordination between Musk and government officials remains unclear.
Contradicting Public Statements
Musk’s order directly contradicts his public statements about Starlink’s role in the conflict. To be extremely clear, no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals,” billionaire Elon Musk said in a post to his social media platform, X in March 2025.
The tech mogul has repeatedly denied such actions, writing on X: “We would never do such a thing” as recently as March 2024. He has also boasted about Starlink’s military importance, claiming: “My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off”.
Company Response
SpaceX has pushed back against the Reuters investigation without providing specific details. A SpaceX spokesperson said by email that the news agency’s reporting is “inaccurate” and referred reporters to an X post earlier this year in which the company said: “Starlink is fully committed to providing service to Ukraine.” The spokesperson didn’t specify any inaccuracies in this report or answer a lengthy list of questions regarding the incident, Starlink’s role in the Ukraine war, or other details regarding its business.
Neither Musk nor Michael Nicolls, the engineer who received the shutdown order, responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. Ukraine’s presidential office and Ministry of Defence also declined to comment on the allegations.
Strategic Importance of Starlink
Starlink has played a crucial role in Ukraine’s military operations since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. The satellite internet service has enabled Ukrainian forces to maintain communications, coordinate operations, conduct surveillance, and operate drone systems across front lines.
As of April 2025, more than 50,000 terminals have been delivered to Ukraine, funded by SpaceX, the US, Polish and German governments and other partners. Poland alone has provided approximately 25,000 terminals, accounting for roughly half of all Starlink terminals currently operating in Ukraine.
The service has proved particularly valuable because Russian forces can jam conventional communications systems, making Starlink’s satellite-based internet connectivity essential for battlefield coordination.
Previous Controversies
This revelation follows previous controversial decisions by Musk regarding Ukraine’s military operations. In September 2022, Musk acknowledged refusing a Ukrainian request to activate Starlink over Crimea, which would have enabled strikes against Russian naval vessels in Sevastopol.
“If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation,” Musk wrote on X at the time, explaining his decision to block the Crimean coverage.
Broader Implications
The incident highlights unprecedented questions about private sector influence over military conflicts. Musk’s sway in military affairs in Washington and beyond – through Starlink’s dominance in satellite communications and SpaceX’s clout in space launches – has reached a dimension previously limited to sovereign governments, alarming some regulators and lawmakers.
British parliamentarian Martha Lane Fox, a former Twitter board member, warned during a parliamentary debate: “Elon Musk’s current global dominance exemplifies the dangers of concentrated power in unregulated domains. Its control rests solely with Musk, allowing his whims to dictate access to vital infrastructure”.
Ukrainian Search for Alternatives
Despite Starlink’s continued operation in Ukraine, the 2022 incident has prompted Ukrainian officials to seek alternative communication systems. However, Ukrainian officials continue to search for alternatives that could complement or replace Starlink should the service become unavailable, a senior government official told Reuters. The Ukrainian government has expressed interest in European satellite systems, such as GOVSATCOM – an EU project aimed at pooling satellite resources of member states and industry to provide services to governments.
Current alternatives face significant limitations. Yet in private conversations, some Ukrainian officials note that current alternatives to Starlink have limitations. “It takes time, it takes money,” a senior government official told Reuters.
Current Military Dependence
Ukraine’s military remains heavily dependent on Starlink for critical operations. The service provides connectivity for thousands of terminals across Ukraine’s front lines, serving as commanders’ eyes and ears through real-time drone footage and maintaining command and control communications across the sprawling battlefield.
Recent concerns have emerged about potential disruptions to service. A global Starlink outage occurred on 24 July 2025, lasting approximately 150 minutes and affecting operations worldwide, though the cause was not disclosed by SpaceX.
Financial and Political Context
The financial arrangements for Ukraine’s Starlink access involve multiple international partners. As of June 2023, Starlink expenses for Ukraine are covered by the US Department of Defence through a contract with SpaceX. Poland provides subscription fees for over 20,000 terminals it has purchased for Ukraine, at an estimated cost of £30 million ($39 million) annually.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly thanked Musk for Starlink’s support, and the Ukrainian government has used the network for civilian communications, including presidential broadcasts to the nation.
Ongoing Concerns
The 2022 shutdown represents what sources describe as the first documented instance of Musk deliberately restricting Starlink access over an active combat zone. The decision shocked SpaceX employees who felt their boss was effectively determining military outcomes in a sovereign conflict.
Military officials in both Ukraine and the United States expressed alarm that a private individual had gained such influence over the course of an international war involving NATO’s eastern flank and global security implications.
As the war continues, Ukraine’s reliance on Starlink persists alongside ongoing efforts to develop backup communication systems. The September 2022 incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in depending on private infrastructure for critical military operations during active conflict.
The revelation raises fundamental questions about corporate responsibility, military communications sovereignty, and the appropriate limits of private sector influence over matters of international security and warfare.
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Image Credit:
Elon Musk in Brazil, 2022 – Image by Palácio do Planalto, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
