Musk’s Starlink Blocks Russian Troops’ Internet Access at Ukraine’s Request
It’s unclear what effect the change will have on Russia’s ability to wage war, but Russian military bloggers said troops were experiencing internet outages that hampered frontline communications. A Ukrainian soldier preparing a Starlink satellite internet system in the Donetsk region in 2024. Russians have been evading export restrictions to smuggle in Starlink devices and send them to the front. Credit... Reuters By Paul Sonne and Maria Varenikova Paul Sonne reported from Berlin, and Maria Varenikova from Kyiv, Ukraine. The New York Times , Feb. 5, 2026 Updated 7:00 p.m. ET Russian troops fighting in Ukraine have reported losing their Starlink satellite internet, according to Russia’s pro-war military bloggers, after the SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk acted on a Ukrainian request to curtail access to his network, which Russian soldiers had been using illicitly. The Starlink cutoff, which the bloggers began noting this week, is the latest twist in a nearly four-year-old...