(MENAFN) Elon Musk reportedly instructed SpaceX to disable Starlink satellite coverage during Ukraine’s counteroffensive in September 2022, according to Reuters citing anonymous sources.

Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, has been crucial in helping Ukrainian forces stay connected, enabling them to coordinate operations, conduct surveillance, and control drones since the conflict escalated in February 2022.

Sources revealed that Musk directed a senior engineer at SpaceX headquarters in California to cut service in areas such as the Kherson Region and parts of the Donetsk People’s Republic. This action disabled over 100 terminals, resulting in a communications blackout that hampered reconnaissance and artillery targeting. Ukrainian officials told Reuters that this outage contributed to the failure of a planned encirclement of Russian troops.

The shutdown order was allegedly issued in late September, possibly due to Musk’s fears that Ukrainian advances might provoke a Russian nuclear response.

Neither Musk nor SpaceX have publicly commented on the report, though a company spokesperson called it “inaccurate” without providing further details. The Pentagon, White House, and Ukrainian officials have also declined to comment.

This report comes shortly after a global Starlink outage disrupted communications on the front line for over two hours, though Ukrainian commanders confirmed service was restored afterward.

Musk has previously refused requests to activate Starlink over Crimea, warning that it could escalate the conflict by enabling strikes on Russian ships. He has also emphasized that Starlink is vital to Ukraine’s military, stating that turning it off would cause the collapse of Kiev’s front lines.

Recently, officials in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic banned SpaceX products, including Starlink, citing concerns that they aid in coordinating attacks. Moscow has long expressed unease over the military use of the technology.

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