Musk says Starlink is ‘backbone of the Ukrainian army,’ ‘entire front line would collapse if I turned it off’

Billionaire Elon Musk said Sunday that Ukraine’s frontline would collapse if he turned off his Starlink satellite internet constellation in the country amid its war with Russia, stressing his frustration with “years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose.”

Musk, also a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, first reacted to a post on X by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who said “Not another penny to Ukraine” in response to a post from another user questioning if U.S. taxpayers paid for a huge Ukrainian flag that was unfurled in front of the White House.

“Place sanctions on the top 10 Ukrainian oligarchs, especially the ones with mansions in Monaco, and this will stop immediately. That is the key to the puzzle,” Musk responded to Lee.

SPACEX DENIES STARLINK ‘TAKE OVER’ OF FAA CONTRACT, AS VERIZON $2.4B AIR CONTROL DEAL HANGS IN BALANCE

Another user said they agreed with Musk’s position that anyone engaging in corruption should be sanctioned, but told the SpaceX and Tesla founder that he should “stop pretending” Russian President Vladimir Putin is not the aggressor. The user said Musk only seems focused on criticizing Ukraine but not Putin.

Musk replied by saying he had challenged Putin to a physical fight and that Starlink “is the backbone of the Ukrainian army,” as the war between Ukraine and Russia sparked by Mosow’s invasion in February 2022 continues.

Elon Musk takes his seat at the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“I literally challenged Putin to one on one physical combat over Ukraine and my Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off,” Musk said.

“What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose,” he continued. “Anyone who really cares, really thinks and really understands wants the meat grinder to stop. PEACE NOW!!”

MUSK CHALLENGES PUTIN TO ‘SINGLE COMBAT’ OVER UKRAINE, RUSSIA RESPONDS: ‘WEAKLING’

Elon Musk is seen in the U.S. Capitol after a meeting with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., while on the Hill to talk about the Department of Government Efficiency, on Thursday, December 5, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images / Getty Images)

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Musk had challenged Putin to “single combat” in March 2022 in a post on the social media platform.