Elon Musk’s social media platfrom X.com is currently being investigated by the EU and France over violations of the Digital Services Act. The investigation was prompted after Grok, the X.com AI-bot was reported to be used to produce sexualised AI-images of private people and also pedophile content. The EU has already fined Elon Musk’s X.com over DSA violations relating to transparency in advertising.
Last month, President Volodymyr Zelensky re-shuffled his cabinet and appointed Mykhailo Albertovych Fedorov as his Minister of Defence. One of Fedorov’s first acts as Minister of Defence was to convince Starlink to cut its service to the Russian military. It was revealed that Russia was using starling extensively across its frontlines and was also using the satellite technology to coordinate drone attacks against Ukrainian civilians.
Last year, suspicions arose that Starlink was being used against the Ukrainians ibn Kursk. Ukrainian troops reported that the Russians were firing unto them every time they switched on their Starlink positions. This was when President Donald Trump had agreed with Vladimir Putin that the Ukrainians should withdraw from Kursk.
Meanwhile, as Starlink officially and definitely cuts its service to the Russian military, many Russians have been filmed kicking their Starlink devices and insulting Elon Musk on video. These many videos come as a surprise after multiple denials by Elon Musk that Starlink was not being used by the Russian military.
After Starlink cut off its service to the Russian military, strange incidents begun occurring on the Russian frontlines. On the Zaporizhzhia front, the Russians obliterated a 12-man unit of their own troops that was attacking in the Ukrainian direction: reports cite that this misfire was caused by the loss of Starlink communication.
To what extent did the Russian military in Ukraine depend on Starlink for their communications and data gathering?
Ukraine is in a very difficult relationship with Elon Musk. Poland subsidises the use of Starlink for Ukraine which is essential for the Ukrainian military’s operations in the frontline. Minister Fedorov also has a very good working relationship with Elon Musk (he was Minister of Digital Innovation) and President Zelensky’s cabinet choices are becoming to make more sense by hindsight. Ukraine intends to have a better working rerlationship with Elon Musk and the Ukrainian government is succeeding in this mission. Clearly, the Ukrainian government can not afford to start disputes with Elon Musk.
At the same time, we also know that Elon Musk has consistently made his position clear with regard to Ukraine: Musk has a dislike for the Ukrainian government in general and its European allies and has a warm relationship with the Kremlin. Musk is also supporting the far-right parties in Europe which support Russian appeasement.
The EU and Ukraine’s allies should ensure that Elon Musk is not taking advantage of his very strong position in his relationship with Ukraine. Starlink should be investigated over European sanctions-breaking and for potentially knowingly aiding and abetting the Russian military. The EU should understand and learn how and to what extent Starlink was used to help Russia’s criminal war in Ukraine and whether this support was done intentionally and knowingly.
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