Poland calls on Musk to cut Russian military access to Starlink

Poland's foreign minister on Tuesday called on US tech tycoon Elon Musk to cut Russian military access to his Starlink satellites, which experts say are used in Moscow's war on Ukraine.

Radoslaw Sikorski, who is also deputy prime minister, spoke out after the US-based Institute for the Study of War said that the Russian army uses Starlink satellites to guide its drone attacks deep into Ukraine.

"Hey, big man, @elonmusk, why don't you stop the Russians from using Starlinks to target Ukrainian cities. Making money on war crimes may damage your brand," Sikorski said on X, Musk's social media platform.

Musk denied in 2024 that Starlink terminals had been sold to Russia. According to Ukrainian intelligence services, the Russian army has obtained terminals through third countries rather than any official contract with Musk.

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The ISW said that "Russian forces are increasingly using Starlink satellite systems to extend the range of BM-35 strike drones to conduct mid-range strikes against the Ukrainian rear".

It said the reported 500-kilometre (310-mile) range of Starlink-equipped BM-35 drones "places most of Ukraine, all of Moldova, and parts of Poland, Romania, and Lithuania in range of these drones if launched from Russia or occupied Ukraine".

Starlink is also widely used by the Ukrainian army for communications, so a general cut in the territory would be problematic.

Russia has in recent months stepped up its daily drone assaults on Ukrainian frontline troops as well as Ukrainian power stations and transport infrastructure across the country.

Some 165 drones were unleashed in attacks overnight between Sunday and Monday, according to Ukraine.