According to Elon Musk, a cyberattack using IP addresses linked to Ukraine caused a major outage on X (formerly Twitter). Musk’s criticism of Ukrainian President Zelensky preceded the attack, which took place during a time of strained US-Ukrainian relations. Dark Storm Team, a pro-Palestinian hacker collective, took credit for the DDoS assault. The timing aligns with forthcoming peace negotiations between the United States and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.
Musk Points to Ukraine as Source of Cyber Attack
Elon Musk revealed Monday that his social media platform X suffered a major cyberattack that he claims originated from Ukraine. Users worldwide experienced significant outages throughout the day, with reports beginning around 6:00 a.m. and fluctuating in intensity. The tech billionaire made his allegations during an interview with Fox Business Network host Larry Kudlow, where he suggested the attack was sophisticated and required substantial resources.
“Well, we’re not sure exactly what happened,” Musk told Fox Business Network on Monday afternoon. “But there was a massive cyber attack to try to bring down the X system with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area.”
Ukraine has hired foreign hackers to employ cyber attacks.
I do think @elonmusk was a target by hackers inside the Ukraine.
More then likely being led by Weev
— 0HOUR1 (@0HOUR1X) March 10, 2025
Backdrop of Strained Relations
The cyberattack occurs against a backdrop of tense US-Ukrainian relations and Musk’s own critical stance toward Ukrainian leadership. As a close adviser to President Donald Trump, Musk has previously criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and advocated for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. These statements have stirred controversy, particularly given Ukraine’s reliance on Musk’s Starlink satellite system for military communications in their ongoing conflict with Russia.
“In October, Musk called for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia and added: ‘We are sleepwalking our way into World War III with one foolish decision after the other.'”
The timing of the attack is particularly notable, coming just days before planned US-Ukrainian peace talks in Saudi Arabia. Washington has recently halted military support and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, further complicating the relationship. The cyber incident also follows a contentious meeting between Trump and Zelensky that highlighted the growing divide between the two nations.
⚡️ Billionaire Elon Musk confirmed the cyber attack on his X platform, Monday originated from Ukraine.
⚡️ Intelligence sources say the Dark Storm hack group is working for Ukrainian security services, the GUR and the SBU. https://t.co/A8fb6BPCtS pic.twitter.com/vHIZNxofY3
— Real Global News (@FelastoryMedia) March 10, 2025
Competing Claims of Responsibility
While Musk points to Ukrainian IP addresses, a pro-Palestinian hacker group called Dark Storm The team has claimed responsibility for the attack. Technical experts suggest the outage bore hallmarks of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, which overwhelms websites with fake traffic to cause shutdowns. Monitoring service Downdetector reported multiple waves of outages throughout the day, with the highest spike reaching over 41,000 user reports around 10:02 a.m.
“Elon Musk claimed that IP addresses connected to a “massive cyberattack” on X, which caused significant outages throughout Monday, originated in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian officials have firmly denied any involvement in the cyber incident, stating that such actions would not serve their interests. Many cybersecurity analysts have noted that IP addresses can be easily spoofed, making attribution challenging. Some critics suggest Ukraine may be serving as a convenient scapegoat amid ongoing tensions between Musk and Ukrainian leadership.
Starlink Controversy Adds Fuel
The attack followed a heated social media dispute between Musk and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski over Starlink’s role in Ukraine. Sikorski had pointed out Poland’s financial support for Ukraine’s Starlink access, to which Musk responded dismissively. This exchange highlights the complex web of dependencies in modern warfare, where private technology companies like SpaceX provide critical infrastructure for military operations.
“Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink.”
By Monday afternoon, the situation had improved for most X users, though the political implications of Musk’s allegations continue to reverberate. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has attempted to calm concerns by stating there are no threats to Ukraine’s access to Starlink, but questions remain about the fragility of critical communications infrastructure in conflict zones and the increasing prevalence of cyber warfare as a tool in international disputes.