Outages Disrupt Social Media Giant as Tensions Rise

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X (formerly Twitter), announced on Monday that the social media platform suffered significant outages due to what he described as a “massive cyberattack.” The disruptions, which affected tens of thousands of users globally, were attributed to a coordinated assault with IP addresses reportedly traced back to Ukraine, escalating speculation about the motives behind the attack.

Musk broke the news on X at 1:25 p.m. ET, writing, “There was (still is) a massive cyberattack against X. 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. Tracing …” Later, in an interview with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, Musk elaborated, stating, “We’re not sure exactly what happened, but there was a massive cyberattack to try to bring down the X system with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area.” He confirmed the platform was back online by late afternoon, though the investigation into the attack’s source remains ongoing.

The outages began early Monday, with the first wave reported around 5:30 a.m. ET, according to DownDetector, a service that tracks internet disruptions. A second, more severe spike hit at 10 a.m. ET, with nearly 40,000 users reporting issues, followed by a third wave around 11 a.m. ET. Users encountered loading failures, inability to post, and error messages from Cloudflare, X’s cybersecurity provider, indicating an “unknown error.” The scale of the disruptions prompted Musk to label the attack as unusually resource-intensive, distinguishing it from the daily barrage of smaller cyberattacks X typically faces.

The claim of Ukrainian involvement has raised eyebrows, particularly given Musk’s recent public friction with the country. Over the weekend, he posted on X that Ukraine’s military front line “would collapse” without his Starlink satellite internet service, a statement that drew sharp rebukes from Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and others. Musk’s role as a key advisor to the Trump administration, including his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has further complicated his relationship with Ukraine, which relies heavily on Starlink to counter Russia’s invasion.

Cybersecurity experts have approached Musk’s assertions with caution. Nicholas Reese, an adjunct instructor at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, told reporters that pinpointing the attack’s origin based solely on IP addresses is challenging, as attackers often use VPNs or spoofed locations to mask their true source. “The likelihood of a state actor doesn’t make a lot of sense unless this is a precursor to something bigger,” Reese noted, suggesting the attack’s high visibility might indicate a non-state group aiming to send a message.

Public reaction on X and beyond has been intense. Supporters of Musk praised his transparency, with one user posting, “Elon’s fighting the good fight—exposing this is key.” Critics, however, questioned whether the outages might reflect technical failings rather than a cyberattack, with some pointing to past incidents—like the August 2024 Trump interview delay—that Musk also attributed to external attacks. A Telegram post from the hacking group Dark Storm Team, later deleted, claimed responsibility, though its authenticity remains unverified.

The timing of the cyberattack coincides with broader challenges for Musk. Tesla shares dropped over 15% on Monday amid a market sell-off, and his DOGE initiative continues to stir controversy as it pushes for aggressive government spending cuts. Meanwhile, X, which Musk acquired for $44 billion in 2022, remains a critical platform for his 219 million followers and a lightning rod for political and cultural debates.

As the dust settles, questions linger about the attack’s true perpetrators and intent. Was it a retaliatory strike tied to Musk’s Ukraine comments, a political statement against his growing influence, or simply a high-stakes act of digital vandalism? For now, Musk and his team are focused on tracing the culprits, while X users—and the world—watch closely for what comes next.