Ukraine Warupdated 31m ago2 min read
Mark Carney Says Starshield Access Restrictions Are Killing Ukrainians After Zelenskyy Warning
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Carney cites restricted Starshield access as causing Ukrainian casualties. Trump denies involvement in Starshield restrictions.
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Carney links limits to deaths
Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized a decision to restrict Ukraine's access to Elon Musk's military-grade satellite network, saying the move is costing lives and describing the decision as against a country that is "literally fighting for the lives of its citizens against naked aggression." Carney said Zelenskyy told him that since Starshield's capacity had been restricted, Ukraine has been unable to track drones and missiles travelling faster than 160 kilometres per hour, and Carney agreed that the restrictions have "real consequences, human consequences."
Ukrainian officials said they had lost some access to Starshield, the military version of Starlink, and Ukraine uses Starshield to track incoming missiles and jet-powered drones and to guide interceptor and spy drones. Carney said he referred in the last 36 hours to an attack at the centre of Kyiv, adding that Kyiv faced "a direct attack on citizens and with immense human suffering."
Who ordered the slowdown
President Donald Trump told reporters he was unaware of who did it and said he "wouldn't tell even if he knew," after Ukrainian officials reported new restrictions on the use of military drones. The White House chief of staff told reporters at his residence, according to Ukrinform, "I don’t know who did it, but I had nothing to do with it," when asked whether he had information that Elon Musk had ordered the restrictions.
Reuters said the order to restrict Starshield came from inside the White House, while the Wall Street Journal reported the restrictions were ordered personally by Musk. Trump asked Musk to restore Ukraine's full access to Starshield, and Trump told reporters, "The important thing is that he restored it."
Restoration disputed, stakes rise
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy contradicted Trump’s claim that Musk restored Ukraine's access, telling CNN that "it still doesn't work," while Ukrainian military officials said on Friday that restrictions on Starshield remain in place. Zelenskyy told NBC's Meet the Press that it was "the message from American government to limit this speed, and technically SpaceX did it," when asked who he thought was to blame.
Zelenskyy signed a letter of intent with Finnish companies Nokia and ICEYE on Thursday to develop Ukraine's own satellite communications network as Ukraine seeks to move away from reliance on the U.S. satellite network. Ukrainian officials reported new limitations on their ability to operate drones essential to the war against Russia, and Ukraine’s supporters were "cautiously optimistic" if the reports were accurate.