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Polish FM Sikorski seeks answers from Elon Musk over 2022 Starlink outage in Ukraine

28.07.2025 09:55
Poland’s top diplomat, Radosław Sikorski, has publicly questioned Elon Musk over the billionaire’s decision to disable Starlink satellite coverage during a critical Ukrainian military counteroffensive in 2022.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski used X (formerly Twitter) to ask Elon Musk about the 2022 shutdown of the Starlink system over Ukraine, a metter reported by Reuters.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski used X (formerly Twitter) to ask Elon Musk about the 2022 shutdown of the Starlink system over Ukraine, a metter reported by Reuters.Photo: Sebastian Indra/MSZ/PAP/EPA/JIM LO SCALZO

Reuters investigation published on July 25 found that the move undermined Kyiv’s trust in the space-based internet service.

The report, citing three sources familiar with Ukrainian military command, said Musk instructed a senior SpaceX engineer to cut Starlink coverage in strategic areas north of the Black Sea, including Kherson - a key region Ukraine was trying to reclaim from Russian forces.

According to the inquiry, during a pivotal Ukrainian push in late September 2022, Musk’s order disrupted the counteroffensive and weakened Kyiv’s confidence in the satellite internet system, which had been crucial for battlefield communication.

Addressing Musk directly on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Sikorski referred to the tech magnate as a “great man,” recalling earlier exchanges in which Musk had called the Polish foreign minister a “little man.”

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Source: Reuters/X/@Reuters/@sikorskiradek