Senior Ukrainian officials accused the United States on Wednesday of imposing restrictions on Kyiv's ability to use the Starlink satellite network, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, for military operations in its defense against Russia's invasion. The satellite communications network is critical to the Ukrainian military, and officials in Kyiv now report restrictions on its use at high speeds, disrupting drone attacks against Russian forces, among other operations.
Musk and his company have not commented on the allegations, which come amid intense pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, a close ally of Musk, on Kyiv to halt its attacks on oil facilities deep inside Russia. According to reports, Trump has even threatened to suspend intelligence assistance or weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
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Putin, Trump and smoke rising over Moscow last month following a Ukrainian attack on oil refineries in the city
(Photo: REUTERS/Stringer, Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images, Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP)
Starlink satellite internet terminal in eastern Ukraine. The network has become critical to Kyiv's forces
(Photo: Reuters)
Musk allowed Ukrainian forces to use Starlink's internet satellites in the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the communications and navigation capabilities they provide have become critical on the battlefield.
Starlink is also considered more resistant to electronic jamming, making it useful for drone attacks carried out by Kyiv, particularly in Russian-held areas of eastern and southern Ukraine. According to Reuters, Ukrainian drones do not use Starlink when entering Russian territory, relying instead on other communications systems.
But senior Ukrainian officials now say restrictions on military use of Starlink are severely hampering Ukrainian operations, particularly along the front lines. The New York Times reported that officials in Kyiv were stunned by the restrictions.
Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Wednesday morning that no advance warning was given before the restrictions were imposed, disrupting several "missions."
According to Beskrestnov, the restrictions cut off access to the military version of the service at speeds exceeding 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph). He added that Starlink is also crucial to air defense systems Kyiv is using to intercept the fast jet-powered drones Russia has begun deploying in attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months. These faster drones are more difficult to intercept.
Beskrestnov suggested the move was deliberate. "It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation," he said.
Ukrainian soldier trains to launch a drone in Kyiv. File photo
(Photo: AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
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Ukraine's military said the restrictions had also caused disconnections during drone flights at lower speeds of 110 to 120 kilometers per hour (68 to 75 mph).
"The drones kept moving, but these interruptions made them harder to control," said the 7th Rapid Response Corps, a Ukrainian air force unit operating in the country's southeast.
A source in Ukraine's Defense Ministry also told Reuters that the restrictions significantly complicate logistics and the operation of several types of drones.
The Starlink restrictions come alongside allegations made in recent days by Zelensky and his aides that Kyiv had, on several occasions, failed to receive advance warnings from Western allies about Russian missile attacks.
Western intelligence is also critical to Kyiv's preparations for such attacks, and no warnings were issued in the Ukrainian capital on either of the past two nights when Russian missiles were launched toward the city.
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia launched another 39 ballistic and cruise missiles overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, along with 128 drones. Only four missiles and 115 drones were intercepted.
At least four people were killed and about 20 others wounded in the overnight attack on Kyiv. Two other civilians were killed in the Dnipropetrovsk region and a third was killed in the Zaporizhzhia region.
"A Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. Once again, no early warning from our partners," Zelensky said Wednesday morning.
A U.S. official told Agence France-Presse that Washington "has not changed its policy on intel-sharing" with Ukraine. However, a senior official in Kyiv told the news agency that the United States had threatened to suspend intelligence assistance unless Ukraine stopped attacking Russian oil refineries.
According to the Ukrainian official, Washington had in fact failed to warn Kyiv about ballistic missile launches on two occasions.
"And on top of that they've throttled Starlink speeds," the Ukrainian official said on condition of anonymity. "It's obvious they [the United States] are helping Russia for some reason."
Scene of a Russian attack in Kyiv on Tuesday, Oct. 13. No advance warning was given of the missile launches
(Photo: AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
(Photo: AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Trump has demanded that Ukraine halt its attacks on Russian oil refineries, arguing that they have caused a surge in global diesel prices. Experts, however, say the war in Iran is the main reason for the increase, which is hurting Republicans' chances of retaining control of Congress in the U.S. midterm elections.
After stunning Kyiv and its European allies by lifting sanctions on Russia late last week to allow it to export diesel to global markets, Trump also announced an "energy ceasefire" on Sunday, supposedly with the agreement of both sides. In reality, however, no such agreement had been reached.
Zelensky revealed Tuesday that Ukraine had indeed suspended its attacks on Russian oil facilities for two days, but said Russia had continued attacking energy facilities in Ukraine throughout that period.
He said the latest overnight strikes also targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure, particularly in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions, leaving 600,000 people without electricity.
"We ask America and everyone in the world who does not close their eyes to reality to react and react harshly. Russia missed the opportunity for de-escalation and clearly chose to continue its insane war of destruction," Zelenskyy said following the overnight Russian attack.
Zelenskyy called on Trump to renew pressure on Moscow, invoking the approach of former Republican President Ronald Reagan. "Peace can only come through strength, and we ask America to remember this principle of Reagan's," he said.