By Charles Switzer
12:02am PDT, Mar 12, 2025
Musk Blames X Outage on 'Massive Cyberattack'
Elon Musk claimed on Monday, March 10, that X, the social media platform he owns, suffered a "massive cyberattack" originating from the "Ukraine area."
In an interview with Fox Business Network's
Larry Kudlow, Musk stated that while the exact source of the attack was unclear, "there was a massive cyberattack to try to bring down the X system, with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area," the
New York Post reported.
The multi-billionaire did not provide evidence to support his claim, and cybersecurity experts quickly pointed out that attackers can easily spoof IP addresses to mask their true location.
Here's an overview of everything that happened…
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Cyber Experts Question Musk's Claim, Suggest Russian Involvement
Cybersecurity experts were skeptical of Elon Musk's assertion that Ukraine was behind the attack, suggesting that the operation made little strategic sense for Kyiv. The Atlantic Council's
Alex Plitsas stated, "It makes absolutely no sense for Ukrainian hackers to attack Elon Musk the day before a meeting between the United States and Ukraine in which they are attempting to get the United States to start sharing intelligence again."
Instead, Plitsas pointed to Russia as the most likely culprit, given its past cyber operations and its strategic interest in
disrupting Ukraine's diplomatic efforts. Other analysts noted that the cyber-hacking collective Anonymous, which has openly criticized Musk, could also be a potential suspect.
Widespread Outages Hit X Users as Musk Doubles Down
Thousands of users reported issues with X throughout Monday, with outage tracking site DownDetector logging over 40,000 reports by mid-morning. By the afternoon, an additional 25,000 users had encountered problems accessing the platform.
Elon Musk took to X to address the disruption, stating, "We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources. Either a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved."
The world's richest person did not offer concrete evidence to substantiate his cyberattack claims but insisted that the attack required significant backing.
By 5 p.m. ET, Musk told Fox Business Network's Larry Kudlow that the platform was back online.
Musk Touts His Role in Supporting Ukraine's Military
Just one day before the outage, Elon Musk boasted on X about how his Starlink satellite technology has played a vital role in supporting Ukraine's military.
"I literally challenged
Putin to one-on-one physical combat over Ukraine, and my Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army," he posted.
Musk wrote in response to a user who accused him of siding with Russia. He went on to claim that Ukraine's "entire front line would collapse" without Starlink access. The tech mogul's Starlink terminals have been critical to Ukraine's battlefield communications since Russia's
full-scale invasion in 2022, though Musk has previously restricted their use for offensive operations.
Musk Calls for 'Peace Now' as He Echoes Trump's Ukraine Stance
Elon Musk's remarks on Ukraine's reliance on Starlink came alongside his increasingly vocal opposition to prolonging the war. Echoing sentiments once expressed by President
Donald Trump, Musk has been critical of Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky and his approach to peace talks.
"What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose," the DOGE leader posted on Sunday, March 9. "Anyone who really cares, really thinks, and really understands wants the meat grinder to stop. PEACE NOW!!"
His stance aligns with Trump's repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire, a position that has drawn criticism from those who argue it would reward Russian aggression.
