Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Musk challenges Putin to ‘single combat’ over Ukraine, Russia responds: 'Weakling'

Musk challenges Putin to ‘single combat’ over Ukraine, Russia responds: 'Weakling'

Tesla and SpaceX CEO has been sending Starlink broadband technology to Ukraine after Russian airstrikes, cyberattacks compromised internet access

Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk wrote to his 77.7 million Twitter followers on Monday that he was challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin to single combat and wagering Ukraine.

"I hereby challenge Владимир Путин to single combat," Musk wrote, using Putin’s Russian name.

He added, "Stakes are Україна," using the Ukrainian spelling for Ukraine.

In Cyrillic script and tagging the Kremlin’s official account, Musk asked, "Do you agree to this fight?"


The tweet prompted a nearly immediate response from the head of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, who has traded wars of words with Musk in the past.

"You, little devil, are still young," Dmitry Rogozin, director general of Roscosmos since 2018, wrote. "Compete with me weakling; It would only be a waste of time. Overtake my brother first."

Rogozin then cited the 17th fairytale by Russian poet A. S. Pushkin titled "The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda." The story is about a lazy Russian orthodox priest who elects a simpleton as a cheap laborer, who then ends up outsmarting his master and driving him crazy in the end.


Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov chimed in: "I am sure that @elonmusk can send Putin to Jupiter."


Fedorov has been running a fundraiser to launch Putin into space for weeks, saying the proceeds would go to repairing damaged Ukrainian infrastructure.

The fourth round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian dignitaries were underway Monday since Putin first launched an invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Since early in the war, Musk has been sending shipments of SpaceX Starlink terminals meant to alleviate internet disruptions Ukraine was experiencing amid Russian shelling and cyberattacks.

In a historic twist on war after the advent of social media, it was Fedorov who on Feb. 26 first tweeted at Musk, writing that "while you try to colonize Mars — Russia try [tries] to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand."

Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington, Monday, March 9, 2020. Musk is asking a federal judge to nullify a subpoena from securities regulators, Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Musk coolly responded that Starlink service is now active in Ukraine and more terminals were en route.

Amid concerns that in Russian controlled airspace, the "uplink" transmissions could be used as beacons for Russian airstrikes, Musk warned Ukrainian users to place antennas as far away from people as possible and to cover them with light camouflage. Fedorov thanked Starlink for keeping cities connected but also warned generators were needed as Russian shelling was destroying infrastructure. Musk said he was working to update the software to reduce peak power consumption, ideally so terminals could be powered with cigarette lighters.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Musk for "supporting Ukraine with words and deeds," saying he was to receive another batch of Starlink systems for destroyed cities this week.


According to its website, Starlink uses advanced satellites in a low orbit to enable video calls, online gaming, streaming and other high data that historically have not been possible with satellite internet. In a public address shared on Telegram, Rogozin decried Musk’s deploying of previously "civilian" technology during a military conflict in an effort to disrupt Russian interests in Ukraine.


Earlier this month, Rogozin told Russian state-run media that Moscow would no longer supply rocket engines to the U.S. following President Biden’s economic sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

"In a situation like this, we can't supply the United States with our world's best rocket engines," he said, according to Reuters. "Let them fly on something else, their broomsticks. I don't know what."


Last Wednesday, Space X’s Falcon 9 launched 48 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. In video of the launch, an unidentified launch director is heard declaring, "Time to let the American broomstick fly and hear the sounds of freedom."

Musk also tweeted video of the launch, writing "American Broomstick."

The South African-born American entrepreneur, who also co-founded the electronic-payment firm PayPal, has been vocal about the conflict in Ukraine, previously urging Europe to restart its nuclear power stations for the sake of national and international security and encouraging the U.S. to increase domestic oil output, recognizing it could negatively impact Tesla, an electric car company.

He garnered praise from former President Donald Trump, who at a rally in South Carolina described the billionaire entrepreneur as a "guy that I like and respect… friend of mine."

"He runs an electric car company and is calling for Biden to increase oil and gas production, but Biden won’t do it because he does not have the will to stand up to AOC," Trump said Saturday.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
U.S. Tech Stocks Slide on AI Boom Concerns
White House Confirms Talks Over Intel Stake
Trump Suggests U.S. Could Support Ukraine ‘By Air’
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
UK Government Tries to Sue 4chan for Breaching Online Safety Act
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
"Every Centimeter of Your Body Is a Masterpiece": The Shocking Meta Document Revealed
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
China Requires Data Centres to Source Majority of AI Chips Locally, For Technological Sovereignty
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
OpenAI’s ‘PhD-Level’ ChatGPT 5 Stumbles, Struggles to Even Label a Map
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×