• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechUkraine invasion
Europe

‘If I die under mysterious circumstances, it’s been nice knowin ya’: Elon Musk embroiled in war of words with Russian space chief

By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 9, 2022, 9:23 AM ET

It seems the Russian government isn’t too happy with Elon Musk.

“If I die under mysterious circumstances, it’s been nice knowin ya,” the billionaire Tesla cofounder told his 91.6 million Twitter followers on Sunday night, after claiming he’d been threatened by a top Russian official over SpaceX’s use of its Starlink satellites to provide internet in Ukraine.

If I die under mysterious circumstances, it’s been nice knowin ya

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2022

Starlink uses satellites to provide high-speed broadband internet around the world.

Since Russia invaded the country on February 24, there have been reports of connectivity problems across Ukraine, prompting Musk to send in Starlink to help.

Starlink now has around 150,000 active users per day in Ukraine, according to the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov.

But Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russian state space agency Roscosmos and the country’s former deputy prime minister, hasn’t taken kindly to Starlink’s presence in Ukraine.

“Elon Musk is involved in supplying the fascist forces in Ukraine with military communication equipment,” he said in a post on the Telegram messenger app on Sunday.

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

Rogozin’s words on Sunday were accompanied by a short clip of Musk jokingly posing in front of photographers as he arrived at the Met Gala in New York with his mother last week.

Musk’s mom, Maye Musk, weighed in on her son’s predicament on Monday, telling him in a tweet that she didn’t approve of his joke about dying a suspicious death.

That’s not funny😠😠 https://t.co/KgLAzY3F8s

— Maye Musk (@mayemusk) May 9, 2022

“I will do my best to stay alive,” Musk replied.  

On Monday, Rogozin responded to Musk’s cryptic tweets about a mysterious death via his own social media accounts.

“Nobody needs you. Stop fooling around,” he said, according to a translation. “Today my country celebrates a great day—Victory Day over fascism.”

He added: “After what you did by supplying the means of communication to the Ukrainian Nazis, unfortunately I cannot congratulate you on this holiday. Think, Elon, which side are you on?”

The Kremlin’s false claims that Ukraine is being governed by a fascist or Nazi regime have been widely criticized in the West as an attempt to justify Moscow’s invasion.

The Kremlin has continuously made unsubstantiated claims that it is seeking to “denazify” Ukraine with its so-called “special operation” in the country.

But Moscow’s claims about Nazism have been rejected by Western governments.

Back in March, U.S. President Joe Biden slammed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s claims as “obscene.”

On May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day to commemorate the end of World War II. The day is marked with military parades that are traditionally watched by political leaders in Moscow.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Chloe Taylor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Illustration of OpenAI logo and Codex
AICoding
OpenAI’s Codex and Anthropic’s Claude spark coding revolution as developers say they’ve abandoned traditional programming
By Beatrice NolanFebruary 13, 2026
8 hours ago
Startups & VentureIPOs
SpaceX said to weigh dual-class IPO shares to empower Musk
By Ryan Gould, Edward Ludlow and BloombergFebruary 13, 2026
13 hours ago
broker
AISoftware
Marc Andreessen made a dire software prediction 15 years ago. Now it’s happening in a way nobody imagined
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 13, 2026
14 hours ago
Investingprivate equity
Exclusive:  The Walton family–funded PE firm that owns Rapha Cycling Club presses pause on all new investments
By Jessica MathewsFebruary 13, 2026
16 hours ago
Big TechGen Z
Analog-obsessed Gen Zers are buying $40 app blockers to limit their social media use and take a break from the ‘slot machine in your pocket’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 13, 2026
16 hours ago
mustafa suleyman
AIMicrosoft
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloFebruary 13, 2026
17 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Some folks on Wall Street think yesterday’s U.S. jobs number is ‘implausible’ and thus due for a downward correction
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 12, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
‘I gave another girl to Kimbal’: Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s honey-trap plan targeting Elon Musk through his brother
By Eva Roytburg and Jessica MathewsFebruary 13, 2026
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Actress Jennifer Garner just took her $724 million organic food empire public. She started her career making just $150 weekly as a ‘broke’ understudy
By Emma BurleighFebruary 13, 2026
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
Something big is happening in AI — and most people will be blindsided
By Matt ShumerFebruary 11, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Nothing short of self-sabotage’: Watchdog warns about national debt setting new record in just 4 years
By Tristan BoveFebruary 11, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloFebruary 13, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.