U.S. Representative Mike Levin reacts to reports that Russia stayed in contact with Elon Musk during Ukraine Starlink internet blackouts.
U.S. Representative Mike Levin demanded answers from the government on November 1, 2026, after reports claimed Russian officials stayed in touch with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about Ukraine’s internet access.
Levin called out billionaire Musk on social media on Sunday. This came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow officials are still talking with the SpaceX founder.
Following reports of satellite internet blackouts in Ukraine, the California Democrat shared a statement on X and Bluesky, questioning the situation.
“Trump eases sanctions on Russia and begins buying Russian diesel. Days later, Musk restricts Starlink service in Ukraine, disrupting its military operations and its ability to defend itself. And now we’re learning directly from Putin that Russia has been in contact with Musk. How on earth did we get to this point? How is it possible that Musk can disrupt an American ally’s military operations whenever he chooses, maintain a clear line to the Kremlin, and face zero accountability to the American people or the U.S. government? I want to know what Musk has been discussing with Russian officials, whether those conversations had anything to do with the Starlink disruptions, and what the Trump Administration knew.”
SpaceX runs Starlink and its military version, Starshield, under direct contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense. These systems provide Ukrainian troops with vital battlefield internet services. Earlier, on October 15, 2026, nine U.S. senators sent a joint letter to the Pentagon’s top watchdog asking for an investigation into reported Starshield blackouts in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Levin was reacting to a post by reporter Simon Shuster about an investigation in The Atlantic.
According to Shuster’s summary of the report, Putin stated publicly that Russian officials are “in close touch” with Musk regarding military tech used by Ukraine.
The Atlantic Report and October 2026 Starlink Outages in Ukraine
As per The Atlantic, Ukrainian military officers received a private memo on October 11, 2026, warning that satellite internet cuts were coming. That memo arrived shortly after President Donald Trump relaxed U.S. penalties on Russia and approved buying Russian diesel fuel.
Two days later, Starlink internet reportedly failed across the Ukrainian war zone. The blackout grounded scouting drones and caused Ukraine to lose sea drones in the Black Sea. When U.S. officials asked about the internet issues, SpaceX staff said the problem could be fixed by paying for a new contract.
However, when Trump was asked whether he told Musk to turn the internet service back on, the president refused to provide details.
“I don’t want to say. I don’t want to comment on it. The bottom line is he put it back,” Trump stated.
At the time of publication, no official investigation has proven that talks between Musk and Russian officials caused the October 2026 Starlink blackouts.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
