Did Elon Musk favour Russian position amid its advances against Ukraine?

The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Elon Musk believed that Vladimir Putin’s forces would continue to secure gains if the war between Moscow and Kyiv continued further, as Russian soldiers took control of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka Saturday with the President calling it a success.

The Russian Defence Ministry announced the success of the operation, and Vladimir Putin congratulated the troops, terming it an "important victory."

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to the Kremlin that forces were working to clear the final pockets of resistance at the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant. 

Videos on social media depicted soldiers raising the Russian flag over one of the plant's buildings, emphasising Moscow's strategic gain in the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, highlighted the challenges faced by Ukrainian forces, attributing the withdrawal of outnumbered troops from Avdiivka to a lack of weapons. 

Zelensky implored the West to increase supplies of military aid, expressing hope that the US Congress would make a "wise decision" to support Ukraine.

This gain is crucial after the Russians seized Bakhmut in May last year.

While responding to a post on X — formerly called Twitter — regarding Ukrainian retreat from strategic areas, Elon Musk wrote: “The longer this goes on, the better Russia will do.”

Over a week earlier, the tech mogul revealed his plans to provide the Starlink satellite to Russia which is being used in the battlefield by Ukrainian forces.

Elon Musk wrote on his social media platform X: “A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia."

Musk — who is also the CEO of Tesla and X — was asked about if his satellite technology Starlink can be activated from Russia. The world’s richest person replied that "Starlink satellites will not close the link in Russia."

The remarks of the 52-year-old came regarding the claims made by Ukraine that Vladimir Putin’s forces are seeking the help of the Starlink satellites on the battlefield against Kyiv.

Russia commenced its special military operation against Ukraine in February 2022 and the bilateral standoff still rages with thousands dead and millions displaced.