Elon Musk, threatened by head of Russian space agency for helping Ukraine, tweets ‘If I die …’

The head of Russia’s space agency threatened billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday, on the very platform Musk is in the process of purchasing, for allegedly “supplying the fascist forces in Ukraine with military communication equipment.”

On Twitter, Musk shared a statement posted on Telegram to Russian media from Dmitry Rogozin, Director General of Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, in which Rogozin cited the testimony of a Ukrainian prisoner of war.

 

“From the testimony of the captured chief of staff of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Dmitry Kormyankov, it turns out that the internet terminals of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite company were delivered to the militants of the Nazi Azov Battalion and the Ukrainian Marines in Mariupol by military helicopters,” Rogozin announced.

“According to our information, the delivery of the Starlink equipment was carried out by the Pentagon,” Rogozin continued. “Elon Musk, thus, is involved in supplying the fascist forces in Ukraine with military communication equipment.”

“And for this, Elon,” declared Rogozin, “you will be held accountable like an adult — no matter how much you’ll play the fool.”

As American Wire News reported at the time, in the very early days of Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Musk’s SpaceX moved quickly to deliver Starlink satellite internet terminals to Ukraine so that the besieged citizens could stay connected with the outside world.

Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation responded on Twitter with a photo of a truck reportedly loaded with Starlink equipment, and the words, “Starlink — here. Thanks, @elonmusk,” to which Musk replied, “You are most welcome.”

Days later, Musk revealed he was being pressured to block “Russian news sources.”

Musk refused — a fact Rogozin has apparently forgotten.

“Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources,” Musk tweeted. “We will not do so unless at gunpoint.”

“Sorry to be a free speech absolutist,” he added, in what now seems like a foreshadowing of his acquisition of Twitter.

Musk responded to Rogozin’s post with a dose of his characteristic snark.

“The word ‘Nazi’ doesn’t mean what he seems to think it does,” Musk tweeted with a translation of Rogozin’s press release.

Minutes later, in a tweet that currently has nearly a million “likes,” Musk stated, “If I die under mysterious circumstances, it’s been nice knowin ya.”

Twitter promptly exploded.

“We’ve got your back. Whatever you need,” tweeted Code of Vets. “Freedom is worth this fight.”

“Hillary call?” quipped Lavern Spicer.

“I’ll protect you,” promised YouTube comedian Ricky Berwick, who was born with Beals-Hecht syndrome, which limits his mobility.

But not everyone thought Rogozin’s threat was a joking matter.

“That’s not funny,” admonished Musk’s mother, Maye Musk.

Rogozin wasn’t laughing, either, replying to Musk in Russian, and disabling both the ability to translate the tweet and to share or embed it.

According to Google Translate, the tweet from Rogozin reads: “No one needs you. Stop fooling around.”

“Today my country celebrates a great day — Victory Day on fascism,” Rogozin continued. “After what you did by supplying the means of military communication to the Ukrainian Nazis, unfortunately, I cannot congratulate you on this holiday.”

“Think, Elon,” Rogozin urged, “which side are you on?”

How seriously Musk should take Rogozin’s threats remains unseen.

This is, after all, the same guy who thought it was hilarious to depict Russian cosmonauts abandoning a United States astronaut in space.

 

Still, financial advisor Harrison Krank is keeping score.

“Who had the death of Elon Musk triggering world war 3 on their 2022 bingo card,” he asked.

Melissa Fine

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