"Hey Elon Musk, why don't you stop Russia from using the Starlink system to attack Ukrainian cities? Profiting from such actions will damage your brand," Polish deputy prime minister and foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski wrote on social media platform X on 28/1.

Sikorski also shared an assessment from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which noted that Russia is increasing its use of BM-35 suicide drones equipped with Starlink transceivers, achieving a flight range of up to 500 km.

According to ISW, Russia previously installed Starlink transceivers on Geran and Molniya-2 suicide drones from 9/2024 and 12/2025, respectively. Starlink connectivity helps Russian drones maintain better communication with their operators and makes them more difficult for Ukraine to jam.

"The terrible fool does not even realize that Starlink is the backbone of Ukraine's military communications system," billionaire Elon Musk replied in the comments section.

This is not the first time Elon Musk and a Polish leader have clashed over Starlink's role in Ukraine.

In 10/2025, Musk stated that Ukraine's entire military frontline would collapse if they lost access to Starlink. Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski quickly warned that Warsaw would have to seek other partners if "SpaceX proved to be an unreliable provider," emphasizing that Poland pays 50 million USD annually for Ukraine's use of Starlink.

Musk retorted that "you only pay a small fraction of the cost, and nothing can replace Starlink".

Flight range of the BM-35 UAV equipped with a Starlink transceiver (red line). Graphic: ISW.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later affirmed that "no one has threatened to block Ukraine's access to Starlink," criticizing Sikorski for spreading misinformation. "Without Starlink, Ukraine would have lost long ago, and Russian forces would have advanced to the Polish border," the US Secretary of State added.

Starlink currently has over 6 million users globally. The service provides high-speed Internet access through a network of thousands of low-orbiting satellites, allowing access to remote areas where traditional infrastructure cannot be deployed.

Ukraine relies heavily on satellite Internet systems like Starlink, as its telecommunications infrastructure has been severely damaged in the conflict. Starlink is used in both military and civilian sectors, becoming an essential service for military units, hospitals, and schools.

Starlink terminal antenna in Izyum, Kharkov in 9/2022. Photo: AFP.

Russia recently integrated Starlink into various UAV models, including the BM-35 aircraft, which can carry a 40 kg warhead. According to Ukrainian experts, the BM-35 will be one of Russia's primary precision weapons, heavily utilized to target expensive weapon systems such as Patriot air defense missiles and HIMARS rocket artillery.

Nguyen Tien (According to Anadolu, AP, RT)