Polish Foreign Minister has told U.S. billionaire Elon Musk that his SpaceX company’s move to disable the Russian army’s access to his Starlink satellite system was “better late than never.”
Russian military bloggers and pro-war Telegram channels had earlier reported that Russian units had lost access to the Starlink system, cutting satellite internet links used on the battlefield.
Some claimed that nearly 90% of units were affected, with Ukraine’s General Staff reporting a sharp drop in Russian assaults.
Russian soldiers have now been forced to seek basic communications equipment from volunteers, according to Russian and Ukrainian media reports.
Russian pro-war Telegram channel, Voenkory Russkoi Vesny, appealed for donations to buy radios, saying command and control had become difficult across much of the front.
In a video posted by the channel, one fighter complained: “We’ve been left without communications!” Russian independent outlet The Moscow Times reported.
Sikorski v Musk
The reports come after Musk posted on X at the beginning of February: “Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked.”
“Better late than never. Thank you, Elon Musk,” Radosław Sikorski replied.
The brief exchange followed a heated social media feud between the two, in which Sikorski retweeted a U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War report alleging that Russian forces were increasingly using Starlink terminals to batter Ukraine with drones.
“Hey big man, Elon Musk, why don’t you stop the Russians from using Starlinks to target Ukrainian cities,” Sikorski wrote at the time, adding: “Making money on war crimes may damage your brand.”
Vital system
The Starlink system, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has been critical to Ukraine’s own battlefield communications since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Tens of thousands of terminals are also used by Ukrainian forces.
Poland pays $50 million annually for Ukraine’s Starlink access, according to Sikorski.