Ukraine Warupdated 15m ago2 min read
Zelensky Says Starshield Restrictions Disrupted Ukraine’s Critical Missions, Losing Strong US Partner
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Starlink restrictions disrupted Ukrainian frontline communications and military operations. Zelensky says he feels betrayed by Trump and US stance on cooperation.
Starshield limits and strikes
Ukraine faced loss of US-affiliated satellite support as Starshield restrictions “disrupted” “critical missions” in Ukraine, according to a defense ministry official in Kyiv, while Russia continued targeting civilian and energy infrastructure. The U.S. government-owned satellite infrastructure used by Ukraine's military for drone navigation and air defense was not operating at its normal functionality, raising concerns that American support for Kyiv was ebbing. Zelensky said on a British television program that his country was “losing a strong partner” in the United States, after he said his military did not receive critical early warnings from partners of attacks that it had come to expect.
A defense ministry official in Kyiv said the restrictions on Starshield “disrupted” a number of “critical missions,” and a Ukrainian source said the restriction gave the Russians “real leverage on [the] frontline” by inhibiting the military's ability to defend against jet-powered Shahed drones. Starshield limits began to loosen as the hours passed Wednesday, but remained a concern for Ukraine.
Zelensky accuses Washington
Volodymyr Zelensky told Piers Morgan that “It’s painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side,” while he also said he was “losing a strong partner” in the United States. Zelensky said in London that “We count on (our) partnership with the United States,” and he told Andy Burnham that “We just want to be very honest, very clear, be strong partners.” Elon Musk responded to Zelensky’s Starlink appeal by saying “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government,” and he added that “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.”
Zelensky also warned that “People will die, of course, if the attacks continue and Starlink doesn’t work,” as he asked the service to be restored. Zelensky worried about the absence of warnings from Western intelligence before certain Russian strikes, and it cited Zelensky’s claim that at least 13 people were killed on Wednesday and 600,000 were without power.
Energy ceasefire collapses
Zelensky confirmed the resumption of attacks against Russia’s energy facilities, saying “The ban is lifted. It’s over,” after he said Russia’s bombardment of facilities essential to Ukraine’s power supply continued.
The Ukrainian leader justified lifting restrictions because Russian military operations continued to affect strategic civilian facilities, and it said Zelensky accused Russia of failing to honor the agreement promoted by Donald Trump.
Ukrainian drones attacked a refinery in the Russian region of Ryazan, about 180 miles south-east of Moscow, and Russia’s Defence Ministry and Ryazan governor Pavel Malkov said the drone strike started a fire.
Zelensky told the Financial Times that Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries would resume, and he was quoted as saying “We’re done,” while the Irish News said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine never stopped its strikes on refineries that have hurt Russia.
Zelensky expressed disappointment with Washington’s recent actions, and it quoted Zelensky saying “It is a shame that we are losing a strong partner.”