Elon Musk backs down after threat to cut off Starlink internet for Ukraine army and demanding cash from the Pentagon
ELON Musk has backed down from his threat to cut off the vital satellite internet service used by Ukrainian soldiers.
The sulking SpaceX founder had demanded millions of dollars from the Pentagon to fund the Starlink service as it was draining his cash.
Musk, the world's richest man, was hailed as a hero in Ukraine after supplying 20,000 Starlink terminals to use on the battlefield.
Ukrainian troops rely on the gadgets - which connect to the internet via Musk's satellites - after Russia cut off terrestrial comms.
But he became a villain in the eyes of Kyiv after complaining it was costing him too much cash and suggesting US taxpayers foot the bill.
The Tesla tycoon has since announced a dramatic U-turn on his ambitious plans after the Pentagon seemingly put its foot down.
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He wrote in a scathing tweet: "The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free."
Musk also hit out at a US Department of Defence official who accused him of "dangling hope over the heads of millions," with his Starlink technology.
The source told the Washington Post he tried to "stick the DoD with the bill for a system no one asked for but now so many depend on."
Musk branded the official an "ignorant fool" and said the amount SpaceX requested would have funded "a major battlefield advantage".
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In recent weeks, Starlink has been hit by mystery outages, forcing soldiers to halt their counterattacks in the south and east.
But Musk said his firm was working around the clock to counter attacks by Russian hackers, whose "signal jamming systems are also getting better".
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov spoke out in his defence amid the Starlink row.
He tweeted: "Definitely @elonmusk is among the world's top private donors supporting Ukraine. Starlink is an essential element of our critical infrastructure."
It comes after Musk's firm SpaceX warned it would end the Starlink service - because an ambassador was rude to him.
Musk caused outrage earlier this month with a Twitter poll suggesting a "peace" plan that involves Kyiv ceding Crimea and the Donbas to the Kremlin.
It sparked a furious twitter row with president Volodomyr Zelensky, who accused him of siding with tyrant Putin.
He posted his own Twitter poll asking: "Which @elonmusk do you like more? One who supports Ukraine (or) one who supports Russia."
And Kyiv's ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, tweeted bluntly: "F*** off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk."
There was further fury after reports Musk had a phone call with Putin, who told him he would use nukes to keep Crimea.
The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.
Elon Musk
Musk then rejected Kyiv's pleas to extend Starlink to the peninsula, reportedly because he .
Meanwhile Musk's company had threatened to axe the service entirely unless the Pentagon paid it tens of millions of dollars.
Documents claim SpaceX has already spent $80million and can no longer fund Starlink in Ukraine.
SpaceX also claimed the service could cost another $400million for the next 12 months, and suggested US taxpayers foot the bill.
The documents also reveal SpaceX rebuffed a direct plea to Elon Musk for a further 8,000 Starlink terminals from Ukraine's top commander General Valeri Zaluzhny.
“We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time,” SpaceX’s director of government sales wrote to the Pentagon last month.
Musk appeared to confirm it in a twitter reply to a Kyiv-based journalist who linked the threat to the ambassador's "f*** off" comment.
Musk tweeted: "We’re just following his recommendation" - adding a shrug emoji.
The billionaire's followers accused him of being "petty".
One said: "Not a very good ad for a service that many MoDs might be considering and turns out to depend on one person's ego."
'GAME CHANGER'
Starlink was hailed as a "game changer" for Ukraine's defenders, who relied on it for real-time info to counter Russia's superior firepower with rapid movements on the battlefield.
Musk's satellite terminals have been spotted on armoured cars and mobile artillery units across the front lines.
More recently Starlink has proved vital for forces who retook swathes of Russia-held territory in Kharkiv and pushed deep into Kherson in stunning advances.
However troops hit a stumbling block amid wide-ranging outages.
The FT reported the the outages resulted in a “catastrophic” loss of communications.
Sources told CNN the comms blackout affected the entire front line as it stood on September 30.
One said: “That has affected every effort of the Ukrainians to push past that front.
“Starlink is the main way units on the battlefield have to communicate.”
Troops had no prior warning of the unexplained outages - potentially leaving them vulnerable in battle, it is claimed.
The source added that when troops liberate an area they have to ask for Starlink services to be switched on.
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Musk hopes his Starlink network can provide internet coverage across the globe, although reports claim he has agreed not to include China.
Just weeks ago he boasted another 52 satellites were successfully launched into orbit, taking the total to more than 2,300.
