Is Ukraine at risk of a Starlink blackout? Poland warns against looking for an alternative
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned that if billionaire Elon Musk decided to shut down Starlink’s service to Ukraine, Poland would be forced to look for another provider. Warsaw currently finances the operation of the satellite network on Ukrainian territory, at an annual cost of around $50 million (more than CZK 1.15 billion). Sikorski posted this warning on the social network X in response to Musk’s post where the SpaceX founder said that without Starlink, the Ukrainian frontline would collapse.
A key communications tool for the Ukrainian military
Starlink satellites have played a key role in Ukraine’s defence since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. They are used not only for military communications, but also to control drones and provide internet connectivity in war-affected areas. Without this infrastructure, Ukraine’s defences would be significantly weakened.
In his post on the X network, Musk emphasised the strategic importance of Starlink: “My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian military. Their entire front line would collapse if I shut it down.” Those words prompted a wave of reactions, including concerns about the risks to Kiev of a possible cut-off.
Is Starlink at risk of being used as a political tool?
Shutting down Starlink would be another blow to Ukraine at a critical time. It already faces uncertainty about military aid from the United States. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House, cut off military support to Kiev this week while limiting the sharing of key intelligence.
According to Reuters, there is a possibility that Trump and Musk could use Starlink as a means of pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This could have major implications for the combat capability of the Ukrainian military and the overall geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe.
Poland hints at a possible replacement for Starlink
Although the Starlink network is currently indispensable to Ukraine, Poland has signalled that it would seek an alternative in the event of its failure. “Regardless of the ethics of threatening the victim of aggression, if SpaceX proves to be an unreliable provider, we will be forced to look for other suppliers,” Sikorski said.
One potential alternative is the European satellite system Eutelsat, whose shares rose sharply after Trump and Zelensky had a row in the Oval Office on February 28. Eutelsat already operates in Ukraine and can provide support for government and defense applications, according to its representatives.
While Eutelsat does not have as extensive a satellite network as Starlink – it has only 630 satellites compared to SpaceX’s approximately 7,000 – the company says its services in Europe are comparable to those provided by Musk’s network.
What’s next?
The future of satellite support for Ukraine remains uncertain. Elon Musk has previously indicated that he has no intention of unconditionally supporting Ukraine, and has changed his position on its use of Starlink several times. Poland’s warning that it will seek other suppliers suggests that European states are not willing to risk dependence on a single private provider.
It remains to be seen in the coming weeks whether SpaceX will maintain service stability for Ukraine or whether Kiev will indeed have to look for new satellite connectivity options.
Photo source: www.pexels.com
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