Russian TV commentator suggests nuking Elon Musk's Starlink satellites: 'To space, and goodbye Elon Musk's group'

• Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov suggested using nuclear weapons on Starlink satellites.
• A guest on Solovyov's show quickly warned him that such an act could trigger global war.
• Starlink provides Ukraine with internet, allowing its troops to stay online and coordinate attacks.

A Russian state TV commentator wondered aloud on Monday if the Kremlin should launch a nuclear strike on Elon Musk's network of Starlink satellites over Ukraine.

TV host Vladimir Solovyov made the suggestion on his Russia-1 show, "Evening with Vladimir Solovyov," according to a clip tweeted by Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko.

"To space, and goodbye Elon Musk's group," said Solovyov. Solovyov is known for fiercely promoting pro-Kremlin propaganda.

—Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 25, 2022

Show guest Andrey Anatolievich Sidorov, a politics professor at Moscow State University, quickly objected. He warned Solovyov that his suggestion to bomb a foreign target — even one in space — would trigger an all-out global war. The two had a terse exchange, during which Solovyov challenged Sidorov and asked if what he wanted in Ukraine was peace.

Sidorov retorted that a "large nuclear war" might ensue that would kill everyone.

"Then they will just die, and we'll go to heaven," Sidorov told Solovyov.

Elon Musk's Starlink has sent thousands of internet kits to Ukraine over the course of the war. Starlink uses SpaceX's broadband service and supplies Ukraine with internet by connecting terminals on the ground to satellites.

The internet service has bolstered Ukraine's war effort by giving its troops a reliable means of communication. Reports suggest that Ukrainian troops have used Starlink to coordinate counterattacks or call in artillery strikes, and used the kits to contact their loved ones while on the frontlines.

On October 14, Musk said SpaceX was losing an estimated $20 million per month to keep Starlink running in Ukraine, calling the cost "unreasonable."

"To hell with it," he tweeted two days later, saying Starlink would continue its services in Ukraine despite the cost.

The Pentagon and the EU have separately discussed paying for Starlink in Ukraine, Politico reported in October.

Musk said on October 17 that SpaceX withdrew its request for the Pentagon to fund Starlink. He said on Monday that Starlink services won't be switched off even if the US government doesn't give them funds for it.

Musk and representatives at SpaceX did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.