In partnership with
Firing into Wednesday!
Hello, Curse and Coffee friends,
Today, we look at SpaceX’s off switch. Hit reply and let us know what you think (we read all of your kind words).
Coffee at the ready…
The Big Sip
Elon Musk
The take: A private company just made the biggest battlefield call of the month. No government ordered it.
What happened: Ukraine's Defence Minister texted SpaceX. Musk said yes. Within eleven days, every unverified Russian terminal on the front line went dark.
Why it matters: Russia had no backup. Ukrainian troops reported losing coordination across stretches of the front. The off switch worked, and it sat in one man's pocket.
What to watch: Whether Musk keeps the whitelist active if peace talks produce a ceasefire, because the moment negotiations start, he decides whether Ukraine keeps its advantage.
Russia's official response was silence. Its bloggers called for nuking Musk's satellites.
[Analysis] When Your Shield Becomes Their Sword: The Starlink Paradox — Times of Israel, Feb 2026
Source: Vincent James Hooper, security analyst, Times of Israel.
Background: Written days after the whitelist went live, this piece reconstructs the full governance failure — from the first documented Russian Starlink use in Donetsk in 2024 to the January 2026 train strike.
Key quote: "SpaceX is not a government agency bound by alliance obligations or military protocols. It is a commercial enterprise whose owner has demonstrated both the willingness to make unilateral battlefield decisions and a volatile relationship with accountability."
Why it matters now: Peace talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the US are already underway in Abu Dhabi. The whitelist was activated during hostilities. Nobody has asked what happens to it during a ceasefire.
Sponsor Break
Before we slurp into today’s brew…
Here are some wordies from today’s sponsor.
How 2M+ Professionals Stay Ahead on AI
AI is moving fast and most people are falling behind.
The Rundown AI is a free newsletter that keeps you ahead of the curve.
It's a free AI newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest AI news, and teaches you how to apply it in just 5 minutes a day.
Plus, complete the quiz after signing up and they’ll recommend the best AI tools, guides, and courses — tailored to your needs.