Elon Musk has personally rejected Ukraine's request to extend its satellite internet service to Crimea, fearing that an attempt to retake the peninsula could lead to nuclear war, The Insider reported with reference to the founder and president of the political risk research company Eurasia Group Ian Bremmer.

As the publication notes, at the beginning of the invasion, Musk and the US government provided Ukraine with thousands of Starlink systems, which allowed the Ukrainian armed forces to communicate in areas that previously had no coverage. The low power requirements of the service's satellite receivers allowed it to connect to reconnaissance drones, providing valuable real-time intelligence on the Russians' movements and the ability to target them.

But last week, a senior Ukrainian government official told the Financial Times that the service was experiencing "catastrophic" frontline failures. That prompted speculation that it was shut down in Russian-controlled areas — possibly to prevent the Kremlin from using the network.

Ian Bremmer believes that the matter is different. He reported that at the end of September, Musk personally confirmed to him that the satellite services were deliberately disabled due to the "possibility of escalation". According to Bremmer, the businessman had a conversation with Vladimir Putin, during which the Russian president threatened to use nuclear weapons if Ukraine tried to return Crimea.

However, on Twitter, Musk categorically denied any recent communication with the Russian dictator. The businessman also wrote that he could not comment on the conditions on the battlefield due to confidentiality.

SpaceX and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine did not comment on the situation.