Western journalists say that the American billionaire and head of SpaceX, Elon Musk, has been receiving threats from senior Russian officials for more than two years because of assistance to Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Elon Musk has been facing threats from senior Russian officials for over two years due to his assistance to Ukraine, including providing Starlink satellite Internet terminals to Kyiv.
- The threats to Musk varied from dark hints to promises of sending Russian rockets to SpaceX satellites, highlighting the level of intimidation from Kremlin officials.
- Russian officials, including Dmitry Rogozin and Anatoly Antonov, have issued threats to Musk, leading to concerns about potential nuclear retaliation against Ukraine.
- Musk's resolve to help Ukraine was influenced by the Kremlin's threats, prompting him to refuse expanding the Starlink system coverage to target ports in Crimea and raising concerns about the risk of nuclear war.
- Musk alerted White House officials about the potential threat, emphasizing the escalating possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
What we know about the Kremlin's threats to Musk
The publication notes that the threats to the head of SpaceX differed from dark hints to promises to send Russian rockets to SpaceX satellites.
Thus, Musk, after the start of a large-scale criminal war against Ukraine unleashed by the Kremlin, began to transfer a huge number of Starlink satellite Internet terminals to Kyiv.
First, threats against Musk were made in 2022 by the then head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin.
If I die under mysterious circumstances, then it was nice to meet you,” Musk noted in response.
In particular, Rogozin was outraged that the Ukrainian military uses Starlink satellite Internet terminals at the front.
He stated that Ukraine received this equipment from SpaceX on instructions from the Pentagon.
The publication notes that over the past two years, the flow of threats against Musk from Russian officials has not subsided.
How the Kremlin's threats influenced Musk's resolve to help Ukraine
According to journalist Walter Isaacson, who is the author of the autobiographical book “Elon Musk,” in September 2022, Musk called him in a panic and told him about new threats from Kremlin officials regarding the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
The reason for this threat was Ukraine’s plans to attack the Russian fleet in Crimea with underwater drones. This operation was to use Starlink terminals.
Isaacson notes that threats of Russian use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine were made to Musk by the Russian Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov.
The ambassador told him directly that a Ukrainian attack on Crimea would lead to a nuclear response, Isaacson claims.
This forced Musk to refuse Ukraine's request to expand the coverage area of the Starlink system in order to hit ports in occupied Crimea.
The head of SpaceX also addressed President Vladimir Zelensky.
An attempt to return Crimea would lead to massive loss of life, would likely fail, and risked a nuclear war,” Musk said at the time.
The publication's journalists emphasize that Musk warned White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and General Mark Milley about a possible threat.
Joe Biden and his security team have predicted that the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine has increased dramatically.
