Starlink Sabotage: Russia's Shadow War Targets Musk's Satellite Network

Russia is expanding its hidden war against the West by targeting Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service. In recent weeks, several attacks and attempted sabotage against Starlink infrastructure have occurred across Europe. Western officials blame Moscow for at least some of these incidents, and Ukrainian intelligence warns the attacks could increase. Lithuania's foreign minister, Kęstutis Budrys, said Sunday that a sabotage attempt targeting Starlink infrastructure near Vilnius was stopped the previous night. He said the goal was to "undermine a capability critical" to Ukrainian defense and civilian communications. Budrys called the incident "a direct consequence of Russia's war" and described it as part of Russia's hybrid operations against Europe. These operations include sabotage, attacks, and drone incursions. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied involvement. Starlink is a growing target because both its civilian service and its military-grade version, Starshield, are used by NATO and Ukraine for battlefield communications. Last week, Poland blamed Russian intelligence for a September sabotage incident. Two Turkish citizens were arrested after a fire at a Starlink satellite station near Warsaw. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it "another act of hybrid warfare." Media reports also described a recent attack on Starlink antennas near Bulgaria's capital. Ukraine's military intelligence warned on October 2 that Russia could target Starlink infrastructure across Europe. "This is not new. British authorities determined that Russian intelligence was behind a March 2024 arson attack on a London warehouse storing Starlink equipment bound for Ukraine. Lithuania's defense ministry said attempts to damage Starlink equipment have recently occurred in other countries as well. "Neither space nor our societies are sanctuaries," US Army Col. Martin O'Donnell, a spokesperson for NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, told Business Insider. "Fortunately, NATO has strategies for countering threats to both, and for defending the alliance." NATO and European Union officials say the hybrid campaign will not weaken support for Ukraine. "As the threat level climbs, so must Europe's preparedness," said Christian Wigand, the EU's lead spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy. "Moscow is trying to scare Europe into winding down its support for Ukraine. This will not happen." **SpaceX in the Crosshairs** The sabotage attempts in Poland and Lithuania targeted Starlink equipment at sites run by third parties, not by SpaceX directly. However, the incidents show how SpaceX and Starlink are becoming increasingly entangled in the war between Ukraine and Russia. That entanglement is turning SpaceX's profitable connectivity business into a military and political target. Starlink accounted for over 60% of SpaceX's revenue last year. It has funded the company's costly artificial intelligence and rocket projects. In SpaceX's third-quarter earnings call this week, the company reported that government and enterprise revenues rose 91% year over year. Executives told investors they expect this revenue stream to eventually exceed income from selling Starlink terminals to consumers. At the same time, SpaceX faces controversies from the war that put that business at risk. Earlier this month, Ukraine's access to Starshield was limited without warning, complicating operations. Ukrainian defense ministry sources told Business Insider that Starshield was restricted at speeds above 100 miles per hour. This disrupted Starlink-equipped drones, which are crucial to Ukraine's military. Some Ukrainian and foreign officials initially blamed SpaceX and Musk. Musk responded in a social media post, saying Starshield is operated by the US government and that the president and the Pentagon are responsible for such decisions. A senior US official told Business Insider last week that President Donald Trump did not order the restrictions. Multiple media outlets have since reported that Musk ordered the disruption. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment. The incident has led European officials to call for the EU to move away from Starlink in favor of local alternatives not controlled by Musk or the US. Christophe Grudler, a member of the European Parliament, wrote to EU leaders urging them to speed up development of IRIS2, a European rival to Starlink set to begin satellite deployments in 2029. Other lawmakers also called on Europe to reduce its reliance on US technology. Canada is also seeking alternatives. In a September interview with The New York Times, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed that Canada would "diversify away" from Starlink in favor of a locally developed satellite network. He pointed to previous instances of Starlink access in Ukraine being slowed or disrupted. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the limits on Starlink had made clear that Europe needs its own alternatives quickly. "All of Europe has seen that it can be controlled from the United States, regardless of agreements or contracts, that Starlink speeds can be restricted," he said. "That's why the Europeans are now raising the question of alternatives themselves. They're already making progress, and they'll succeed in this area." Such an outcome could pose a major threat to SpaceX's ambitions to sell Starlink and Starshield to governments worldwide. For now, Starlink remains largely without rivals. Ukraine continues to face service restrictions, and Europe faces the threat of repeated hybrid attacks on Starlink infrastructure.