On 25 October, American billionaire Elon Musk called for sympathy for Russian conscripts taking part in the war against Ukraine. In a post on X, he claimed that they were allegedly being forced to fight and die from drone strikes, with no choice in the matter. Musk’s comments came against the backdrop of a public dispute over the Ukrainian military’s use of the Starlink system.
Briefly about the main points
- Musk called for an end to the deaths of Ukrainians and Russians.
- He described Russian conscripts as people with no choice.
- The post was a reply to user X Skscartoon.
- The day before, Musk accused Ukraine of breaching Starlink’s rules.
- Ukrainian experts have ruled out the use of the civilian system for targeted strikes.
A response to the debate on saving lives
Musk wrote that «The endless bloodshed involving Ukrainians and Russians must come to an end». He also called for compassion towards military personnel the Russian army, describing them as young men who are allegedly unable to refuse to take part in combat operations.
The entrepreneur was replying to a post by a user on X going by the pseudonym Skscartoon. The user suggested that the decision Mask regarding assistance to Ukraine Starlink and subsequent restrictions on the use of the system were dictated by the desire to save lives.
The claim that all Russian soldiers have no choice but to take part in the war is Musk’s personal assessment. The Russian Armed Forces comprise not only conscripts, but also contract soldiers and other categories of military personnel.
Previous statements regarding the civilian Starlink and Starshield programmes
The day before, Musk claimed that the Ukrainian army had allegedly used a civilian Starlink system for offensive operations drone strikes in breach of the system’s rules. According to him, SpaceX has blocked the relevant satellite communication capability.
At the same time, the businessman described Starlink as vital for Ukraine’s defence and noted that the system had helped the Ukrainian military in the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. He also distinguished Starshield — a system for US government and military purposes which, he said, is controlled by the US government.
Ukrainian experts have denied that civilian terminals were used for attacks
Serhiy Beskrestnov, the Ukrainian President’s adviser on the development of defence technology, stated that civilian terminals have technical limitations that prevent them from being used for certain types of long-range strikes.
Volunteer and former adviser to the Minister of Defence Serhiy Sternenko He also said that for combat missions involving via satellite communication Starshield is used. According to him, the use of civilian terminals whilst driving requires special authorisation.
Consequently, Musk’s claims regarding Ukraine’s alleged breach of the rules governing the use of civilian Starlink remain a subject of public debate.
