Poland Challenges Musk Over Starlink Restrictions Amid Russian Attacks on Ukraine

Poland's foreign minister Radosław Sikorski publicly confronted Elon Musk on X (formerly Twitter) over reported overnight restrictions to Starlink service in Ukraine, asking whether Musk was "playing politics with your products again." Sikorski noted that Poland, as a European customer, helps fund Starlink access for Ukraine at approximately $50 million annually. The exchange revived past tensions between the two, including a 2025 incident in which Musk told Sikorski to "be quiet." A senior aide to Ukraine's Zelenskyy, Serhii Beskrestnov, confirmed that Ukrainian defence forces received no advance warning of the Starlink restrictions and that the disruption disrupted military operations, suggesting the action was deliberate.

Russia launched a night of sustained ballistic and cruise missile attacks targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure and railway facilities. Kyiv reported at least three deaths and widespread power outages affecting roughly 600,000 residents, with temperatures in the capital dropping below 10 degrees Celsius. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the strikes as "ostentatious disrespect" toward the United States, noting that the attacks specifically targeted energy infrastructure covered by what he described as an energy ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump. The strikes hit state railway facilities across five regions of Ukraine, according to Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni separately criticized a US-Russia diesel supply agreement, calling it "a very risky choice" with "clear" risks. She warned the Italian parliament that the deal provided Moscow with legitimacy while generating new revenue to finance the war and weakening sanctions effectiveness. Meloni renewed a proposal for the EU27 to appoint an authoritative figure to lead talks with Russia and Ukraine on the broader conflict.