KYIV, UKRAINE. — Ukrainian drones lost some of their speed after restrictions were suddenly imposed on battlefield use of the country’s U.S.-made Starlink communication terminals, officials said on Wednesday (Thursday morning Australian time), as Kyiv endured a second consecutive night of Russian missile attacks.
At the same time, Ukraine did not receive the usual warning from its Western partners about the devastating Russian ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, triggering fears that Ukraine is being starved of vital intelligence, especially from the U.S.
Zelenskyy did not specify which partners he was talking about when referring to the lack of warning. US President Donald Trump has said America has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
The developments frustrated the Ukrainian military and deepened fears that Kyiv’s relationship with Washington is unravelling.
Ukrainian officials fear U.S. support for the war effort is falling away after Trump struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel despite international efforts to sanction Russia for its invasion and isolate Putin.
Trump has also levelled sharp criticism at Zelenskyy. He said Saturday that it was ‘time for Ukraine to get a new president’, suggesting Zelenskyy has not done enough to end the war with Russia and blaming him for high diesel prices in the U.S.
Trump’s efforts to stop the fighting have yielded no progress.
Starlink is an essential tool for Ukraine
Ukrainian officials are concerned that U.S. support, especially related to the sharing of military intelligence and the use of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communications system, may be in jeopardy.
The American tech titan’s SpaceX company overnight imposed a speed limit on Ukraine’s Starlink terminals mounted on drones, Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelenskyy, said on social media. The restriction disrupted operations, including making the slower-flying attack drones easier targets for Russian defences.
By late Wednesday (US time), drone operators were reporting improved data connections at speeds up to 161 kph (100 mph), Zelenskyy said.
But a Ukrainian official said that was still too slow to intercept jet-powered Russian drones, and the country needed all restrictions to be lifted. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military details.
Musk said on X that the military version of Starlink is controlled by the U.S. military and Trump. The Pentagon and U.S. Space Force did not immediately respond to questions about any restrictions that the American military may have placed on satellite-communication services in Ukraine.
Starlink is a vital tool for the Ukrainian military, both in offensive and defensive operations. The network is used for long-range drone missions, interceptor air-defence systems and front-line logistics, Beskrestnov said.
“Obviously, this action cannot be a coincidence and is connected to the current political situation,” Beskrestnov said, without elaborating.
The White House did not offer any immediate comment.
Kyiv got no warning about initial ballistic missile attack, official says
Yurii Ihnat, Ukraine’s air force spokesman, said there was no warning of an initial Russian ballistic missile attack on Tuesday night, although Kyiv was warned about three later waves of missiles.
A lawmaker on Ukraine’s parliamentary Defence Committee told The Associated Press that intelligence sharing with international partners has not stopped. The lawmaker spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to give statements to the press.
Five people were killed and 36 wounded in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital that lasted from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, Kyiv police said.
