Starlink Bows to US Pressure, Leaving Ukraine Vulnerable Against Russia

Darwin, October 15: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused US President Donald Trump of personally betraying Ukraine after restrictions were imposed on the Ukrainian military’s use of the Starlink satellite communications system. The move has raised fresh uncertainty over Washington’s long-term commitment to Kyiv.

During a visit to London, Zelenskyy alleged that Trump was effectively siding with Russia amid the war, which has now lasted more than four years. Relations between Kyiv and Washington have also come under strain over a US agreement to purchase diesel from Moscow.

Ahead of a meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Zelenskyy was interviewed on the British talk show Piers Morgan Uncensored. He was asked whether the sudden restrictions on Starlink access had been imposed deliberately and whether he felt betrayed by Trump.

“Honestly, yes. But the situation is somewhat more complicated than just my emotions or feelings. It is unfortunate that we are losing a strong partner,” Zelenskyy replied.

Later that night, the Ukrainian military reported that Starlink satellite terminals travelling at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour had suddenly been restricted, without explanation. Developed by Elon Musk’s space technology company SpaceX, the system is also used for military purposes through a related network controlled by the US government.

As a result, many Ukrainian drones used to strike Russian positions behind the front lines became effectively inoperable. It later emerged that the restrictions had also affected an effective air defence system used by Ukraine to intercept Russian jet-powered attack drones.

“I am sure they knew what they were doing. Because at around 1 a.m., SpaceX and the United States shut down Starlink. Many people will lose their lives because of this decision. Of course, people will die,” Zelenskyy said.

The incident occurred as Russia launched ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine for a second consecutive night, without any advance warning from the United States. Washington had previously been providing Kyiv with intelligence about impending Russian attacks.

On Tuesday, Trump denied claims that his administration had halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine. However, in an interview with US broadcaster NPR aired on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said American military advisers had been threatened with possible restrictions on intelligence sharing in the future.

Trump has urged Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, blaming the strikes for high diesel prices. However, most analysts believe the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli attacks on Iran has had a greater impact on global energy prices.

Relations between the two leaders suffered a major rupture during Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House Oval Office in the spring of 2025. During that meeting, Trump said Zelenskyy lacked the leverage needed to win the war. Following the confrontation, the United States temporarily suspended intelligence sharing, prompting European allies to intervene to ease tensions.

On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Burnham met Zelenskyy at Downing Street. Hours before the meeting, Burnham told British lawmakers that Zelenskyy would “not be leaving empty-handed.” He also said he had instructed officials to explore additional sanctions against Russia and ways to accelerate military assistance to Ukraine.

During the meeting, Burnham reaffirmed Britain’s continued support for Ukraine.

Elon Musk’s Starlink was helping Ukraine to win the drone war.

“You have seen the solidarity and support of everyone in Britain. We stand with you, and that will not change,” he said.

Zelenskyy also met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. In brief remarks to reporters, he said he intended to raise the issues of continued Starlink access and intelligence sharing during his meeting with the British prime minister.

Burnham pledged to accelerate deliveries of British Lightweight Multirole Missiles, which Ukraine uses to counter Russian drone attacks. He also said officials would explore “every possible avenue” for providing further assistance.

Burnham expressed interest in discussing Trump’s proposed ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure. However, he acknowledged that Moscow had failed to observe the truce.

“Sadly, we have seen further Russian attacks on Ukraine’s vital national infrastructure,” Burnham said.

Elon Musk has denied that the decision to impose restrictions on Starlink was his own. He argued that customers involved in weapons operations are not directly licensed to use Starlink. Ukraine’s military had been using a related network called Starshield, which is operated by the US government.

“Starshield is owned by the US government and operated under its control. Any restrictions on its speed or usage are decided by the US military and, ultimately, the President of the United States,” Musk said.

Serhii Beskrestnov, Zelenskyy’s adviser on military technology, said terminals travelling at speeds above 100 miles per hour had suddenly lost connectivity. The problem also affected a version of Starlink used by the military and other national security agencies. He suggested that the disruption could have been a targeted communications shutdown intended to interfere with military operations.

“Our armed forces received no warning about these restrictions. As a result, several operations failed,” Beskrestnov said.

He added, “It is clear that this action was not accidental. It is connected to the current political situation.”

According to Beskrestnov, Starlink is being used in one of Ukraine’s most effective methods of air defence against jet-powered Shahed drones, which Russia is now deploying in large numbers against Ukrainian targets.

“By taking this step, our partners are depriving us of one of the few options we have left to defend ourselves,” he said.

Beskrestnov also noted that Ukraine’s interception rate against Shahed drones had fallen from more than 90 per cent to around 60 per cent by early summer after Russia upgraded their engines.

Restrictions on Starlink are also expected to complicate Ukrainian medium-range drone strikes against Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. However, they are not expected to affect Ukraine’s long-range attacks on Russian oil refineries, as Kyiv has been prohibited from using Starlink to strike targets inside Russia.

Zelenskyy said Russia launched a major attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure late Tuesday night. A total of 39 ballistic missiles and 120 attack drones were directed at Kyiv and Kharkiv. Five major power plants, key electricity substations and essential infrastructure in major cities were targeted.

According to Zelenskyy, at least 600,000 people were left without electricity. He warned that the situation could deteriorate further.

Last week, Trump announced a so-called “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine. However, the agreement was never formally confirmed. Zelenskyy said he had known nothing about the arrangement before Trump announced it on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin claimed on Wednesday that Trump had not specified which energy infrastructure facilities would be covered by the proposed ceasefire. Therefore, it argued, Russia could not be accused of violating the agreement.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “The details of the energy ceasefire proposed by Trump have not been specified. Therefore, it cannot be claimed that Russia is failing to observe it.”

Source: The Guardian