On 14 October, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly addressed Elon Musk following reports that Starlink satellite communications had been restricted for the Ukrainian military. On Tuesday night, SpaceX imposed restrictions on the military version of Starlink — Starshield — whilst the vehicle was travelling at high speed. According to the Ukrainian military, this led to the disruption of several combat missions. Subsequently, volunteer Serhiy Sternenko reported even stricter restrictions: for some operators, the connection began to drop out at speeds as low as 60–70 km/h. Sikorski criticised the actions of Musk’s company, pointing out that Poland is one of Starlink’s clients and is funding satellite communications for Ukraine.
- On the night of 14 October, SpaceX restricted the operation of the military version of Starlink in Ukraine.
- Initial reports indicated that contact was lost whilst the vehicle was travelling at a speed of over 160 km/h.
- Sternenko stated that, subsequently, some operators lost signal even at speeds of 60–70 km/h.
- According to military reports, the restrictions led to the disruption of several combat missions.
- Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, has publicly criticised Elon Musk.
Sikorsky made a sharp rebuke to Musk over Starlink
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radoslav Sikorsky responded to reports of restrictions on Starlink satellite services in Ukraine.
On the platform X he addressed the owner of SpaceX directly Elon Musk, accusing him of possibly using technological products to exert political influence.
«Hey, Musk, big guy, are you playing politics with your products again? We, your European customers, are watching you.».
The Polish minister’s statement came following reports from the Ukrainian military of sudden problems with the operation of Starshield terminals, which are used to control drones.
At the same time, Sikorsky did not provide any evidence that the restrictions had been introduced as a result of a political decision.
Starlink began to lose connection whilst in motion
On the night of 14 October, the Ukrainian military faced new restrictions on satellite internet services.
Adviser to the President of Ukraine on defence technologies Sergey Beskrestnov, known as «Flash», reported that the restrictions affected the Starshield military package. Initially, the talk was of loss of contact whilst travelling at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, which is equivalent to approximately 160 km/h.
According to Beskrestnov, the Ukrainian military were not warned in advance about the changes. As a result, several combat missions were disrupted.
Subsequently Serhiy Sternenko announced tighter restrictions: according to reports from operators, The signal began to fade at speeds as low as 60–70 km/h.
The military reported that combat missions had been disrupted
Problems with Starshield have also been confirmed by the Ukrainian military, who use the system to operate drones.
Representatives of the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Airbornereported that in the Huliaipole sector, contact with the drones was periodically lost for 10–20 seconds whilst they were in flight at speeds of 110–120 km/h. These interruptions made it more difficult for operators to control the drones. Some missions had to be cancelled.
Starshield differs from standard Starlink in that it offers specialised capabilities for military use. At the same time, according to Sternenko, standard Starlink terminals continue to operate.
Poland has donated nearly 30,000 Starlink units to Ukraine
Poland is one of Ukraine’s biggest partners in providing satellite communications. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation, Warsaw has provided 29,500 Starlink terminals and continues to fund their operation.
Radosław Sikorski had previously stated that Poland spends on services Starlink around 50 million dollars a year.
The terminals are used not only by the military, but also by medical facilities, educational institutions and critical infrastructure sites. This is precisely why the restrictions on satellite communications prompted a response from the Polish minister.
Are the restrictions on Starlink linked to Trump’s policies?
Serhiy Sternenko suggested that SpaceX might have introduced the restrictions at the request of the US presidential administration Donald Trump. This new situation has arisen against the backdrop of reports that Washington is putting pressure on Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. However, there is currently no evidence that the new Starshield restrictions were introduced specifically at the White House’s request.
