Washington DC Ukraine’s military operations have been affected by restrictions on satellite communications services, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raising concerns over disruptions to Starlink connectivity as Kyiv faces continued Russian strikes, as per Axios.
As cited by the New York Post, in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan on “Piers Morgan Uncensored”, Zelenskyy accused SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk of restricting Ukrainian access to the Starlink satellite internet system, alleging that the disruption had affected military operations and the country’s ability to defend against Russian strikes.
“I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the reported disruption, according to the New York Post. “Because it was 1 am at night, (when) Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States.”
Emphasising the system’s role in protecting civilians, Zelenskyy said, “It's not just about attack. It's also about defending life.”
“People were killed because, not enough destroying, not enough interceptors, including interceptors with Starlink, which didn't work. Of course,” he added. Asked whether he was angry with Musk, Zelenskyy said, “Yes, I think he is not right.”
“It's a big mistake. I don't know him, or somebody pushed him to, I don't know really,” he added. Warning of the possible consequences, Zelenskyy said, “It's a big mistake…This decision will bring a lot of human losses… Of course, people will die. Of course, if attacks continue and if Starlink will not work, it's not helpful.”
He appealed for the service to be restored, saying, “So my message is absolutely, I hope that it's a mistake, maybe a huge technical problem, I don't know. But we are asking to do it, to switch it on.” According to CNN, Ukrainian authorities said they were caught off guard by restrictions affecting Starshield, a military-grade satellite communications system owned and controlled by the US government.
Musk said on X that decisions regarding Starshield’s speed or usage rested with the US military and the President. He distinguished Starshield from Starlink, a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX, saying the latter was limited to civilian or defensive activities.
Musk said Starlink “cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company.” CNN, citing two US officials, reported that the decision to limit Ukrainian access to Starshield was not a high-level US policy decision.
Axios reported that the restrictions had raised questions about the implications of the disruption amid deteriorating relations between US President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy following a diesel supply deal involving Russia. Ukrainian forces rely on Starlink to operate reconnaissance and interceptor drones, gather intelligence and conduct other military operations.
A Ukrainian military source with direct knowledge of the operational impact told CNN, “The complications are substantial.” “We're investigating connection issues in detail. What will be affected is the front line and occupied territories,” the source said, adding, “We were getting ready for this.”
A Ukrainian defence ministry source also told CNN, “This situation significantly complicates logistics, unmanned systems, forces operations, mid-range strikes, etc.” Zelenskyy said Russian forces were attempting to exploit the connectivity problems. In a post on X on Wednesday, he said Russia had launched 124 drones overnight and another 145 during the day, describing the barrage as “one of the largest attacks”.
“It is clear that the Russians are trying to take advantage of the problems with Starlink in Ukraine, as our interceptor drones depend on this connection among other things,” he said, The reported disruption comes amid concerns over intelligence-sharing arrangements between Washington and Kyiv. CNN reported that the Trump administration had warned Ukraine over the weekend that the US could suspend intelligence sharing and European purchases of US weapons for Ukraine if Kyiv did not halt its long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities.
Late on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said his government had received “no early warning from our partners” before a Russian ballistic missile attack struck a major power plant in Kyiv and damaged a residential building. Trump, however, said the US had not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. “We are helping them, and we are sharing intel. We want the war to end, so we're working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end,” Trump said.