Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and a close associate of Donald Trump, has blamed a cyberattack for the disruption in X’s services. Not only that, but this American billionaire also claimed that the cyberattack was launched from Ukraine. It is believed that by saying this, he intended to point the finger of accusation at Ukraine.

On Monday, X’s services were disrupted multiple times across the world. Users faced inconveniences. In an interview with the American news outlet ‘Fox News,’ Musk was questioned about the reason behind this disruption. In response, he said, “We don’t know exactly what happened. But it was a major cyberattack that brought X’s entire system to a halt.” Additionally, Musk noted, “The incident was carried out using ‘IP addresses’ from the Ukraine region.”

Many are interpreting Musk’s statement through a geopolitical lens. This is because the industrialist, known to be close to Trump, is also recognized as an opponent of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Moreover, he currently heads America’s Department of Government Efficiency, which has stirred controversy by deciding to halt aid to various countries, including India. On February 28, a heated exchange took place between Trump and Zelensky at the White House regarding the Russia-Ukraine war. Since then, the chill in relations between Kyiv and Washington has persisted. In this context, all eyes are on how Musk’s remarks will shape the relationship between the two nations.

However, a pro-Palestinian hacker group has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack and issued a statement. The group, which has previously carried out cyberattacks in various countries in support of the Palestinian armed organization Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, spoke up again this time. After the disruption in X on Sunday, Musk had first addressed the issue. At that time, he mentioned that X had faced cyberattacks in the past as well. However, he claimed that this attack was conducted in a more organized manner. He also alleged that large groups and countries were involved in the act. Later, he directly named and targeted Ukraine.