Ukraine accused the United States on Wednesday of indirectly aiding Russia by not alerting Kyiv to incoming missile attacks and weakening its military operations through changes to the Starlink system used by Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
Zelensky condemns strikes and ceasefire violations
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the failure to notify Ukraine ahead of a series of heavy strikes late Tuesday and into Wednesday, calling it “completely unjust.” He also accused Russia of deliberately violating what US President Donald Trump had described as an “energy ceasefire.”
A senior Kyiv official confirmed that Washington had recently threatened to withhold intelligence on Russian missile launches, information Ukraine relies on to intercept incoming attacks. Trump denied making such a threat on Tuesday.
Ukraine accuses US of aiding Russia
Ukrainian officials and defence representatives also indicated that the United States may have been involved in reports of reduced speeds on certain Starlink internet terminals.
"It's obvious they (the United States) are helping Russia for some reason," the senior official told AFP.
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Kyiv links Starlink curbs to drone defence
{{/usCountry}}Also read | Six dead, including child, in Wisconsin plane crash; investigators examine pilot’s ‘icing’ report
Kyiv links Starlink curbs to drone defence
{{/usCountry}}The satellite network plays a crucial role in Ukraine’s military operations, including strikes on Russian-occupied areas and the deployment of interceptor drones.
Ukrainian defence sources alleged that SpaceX, the company owned by billionaire Elon Musk, had “unilaterally restricted the operation of Starshield terminals... without prior warning,” disrupting communications used by Ukrainian drones.
Neither Musk nor SpaceX had issued an immediate response to the allegations.
Sergiy Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelensky, argued that the timing of the strikes and the Starlink limitations was unlikely to be coincidental. He described the satellite network as “the most effective solution” for defending Ukraine against Russian jet-powered attack drones.
“Our partners are depriving us, through their actions, of one of the few opportunities we have to protect the country from jet-powered Shahed drones,” he wrote in a Telegram post.
Warnings failing to arrive in time have been an uncommon occurrence during the conflict. Ukrainian officials have previously pointed to possible technical malfunctions or Russia’s use of missiles that are difficult to detect as potential explanations.
Russian missile strikes hit Kyiv
Meanwhile, Kyiv has endured ballistic missile attacks for two consecutive nights. In both instances, the strikes came before air raid sirens could provide timely warnings, leaving residents with little time to seek safety in basements, designated shelters or metro stations.
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Authorities reported that six people were killed and dozens injured in Kyiv on Wednesday. Strikes also caused extensive damage to energy infrastructure and equipment, leaving large parts of the capital without electricity.
In the eastern Kharkiv region, ballistic missiles targeted power plants. Attacks were also reported in Zhytomyr in the northwest, Sumy in the northeast and Chernihiv in the north.
With inputs from AFP report.