In an unexpected turn of events, one public figure who became surprisingly intertwined with the fast-moving narrative surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine was Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk.

But why did the billionaire entrepreneur make headlines over the weekend in the early days of the Russian assault of Ukraine? Here’s everything you need to know.

Ukraine government asks for help

On Saturday February 26, Mykhailo Fedorov, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, sent out a tweet asking the tech billionaire for assistance.

“[Elon Musk], while you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine!” Fedorov tweeted. “While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.”