Elon Musk called out after reports Russian military uses Starlink

A Polish minister has accused Elon Musk of profiting from war crimes following reports that Russia is using Starlink satellite systems to extend the range of strike drones against Ukraine.

Russian forces are increasingly using Starlink satellite systems to extend the range of strike drones to conduct mid-range strikes against Ukraine, according to findings by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The Starlink-equipped BM-35 drones have a range of 310 miles (500 kilometres), encompassing most of Ukraine, all of Moldova, and parts of NATO countries Poland, Romania, and Lithuania if launched from Russia-occupied Ukraine.

In its X post, the ISW cited reports that Starlink-equipped Shahed long-range strike drones began in September 2024, while Molniya strike drones with Starlink systems were first observed in December 2025.

“ISW continues to assess that Russian mid-range strikes, especially those conducted by Rubikon units, seek to exploit Ukraine’s scarcity of air defense systems,” the non-profit stated.

Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski, who had a spat with Musk over Starlink last year, accused the tech billionaire of “making money on war crimes.”

“Hey, big man, @elonmusk, why don't you stop the Russians from using Starlinks to target Ukrainian cities?” Sikorski wrote on X.

The US sanctions, imposed after Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, prohibit the sale and supply of Starlink satellites to the Russian government and its entities.

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At the same time, the system became the cornerstone of Ukraine’s military and civilian communications amid constant blackouts.

​However, Musk denied Ukraine’s request to provide Starlink coverage over Russian-occupied Crimea, preventing Kyiv’s counteroffensive in 2022 over fears of nuclear escalation.

Moreover, the US reportedly threatened to cut off access to Starlink if Ukraine doesn’t agree to sign a deal over critical minerals.

Europe launches its own Starlink alternative

The findings come as the European Union (EU) has rolled out a“secure” and “encrypted” satellite communication system, which could serve as an alternative to Starlink.

Andrius Kubilius, the bloc's commissioner for defence and space, who introduced the system during the European Space Conference on January 27th, described it as “only the first step in satellite connectivity.”

“All member states can now have access to sovereign satellite communication – military and government, secure and encrypted, built in Europe – operated in Europe, under European control,” Kubilius said.

The satellite communication system’s bandwidth will be expanded in 2027 to provide coverage worldwide, with the capacity purchased “from commercial partners with extra security,” according to Kubilius.

GOVSATCOM, short for Governmental Satellite Communications, which already provides bandwidth to member states for data transmission, currently includes eight satellites from five countries.

The system is open to all member states and is considering Ukraine’s request for access, Euronews reports.

Meanwhile, the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²), the EU’s secure, multi-orbit satellite constellation of 290 satellites, is now expected to be initially deployed by 2029.

Kubilius told the media that the launch of GOVSATCOM “gives very much needed services for, specifically, our military and security people” and emphasized shrinking Europe’s dependence on US space services.

​​The EU has ramped up its efforts to reduce its technological dependence amid increasingly tense relations with the Donald Trump administration and growing pressure from US technology companies.

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