‘Dangerous surprise’ - Zelensky says Starlink slowdown weakened Ukraine's drone defences
Key Takeaways
- Zelensky claims reduced satellite internet speeds prevented Ukrainian forces from intercepting drones.
- The SpaceX chief calls for Zelensky's departure following accusations over satellite internet restrictions.
- The US president condemns Ukrainian refinery strikes and disputes Zelensky's claims about intelligence sharing.
The Ukrainian president claims reduced Starlink speeds disrupted drone interceptions as tensions with Elon Musk and Donald Trump deepen over military support and attacks on Russian territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that a reduction in Starlink satellite internet speeds disrupted Ukraine's ability to intercept drones, describing the development as a dangerous surprise.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Friday, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces relied on the satellite service to operate high-speed interceptor drones.
"I’ll be open and frank: this was a very unpleasant and dangerous surprise - a surprise involving Starlink," he went on. "We use special interceptors that move at high speed - interceptor drones that operate specifically with Starlink. So Starlink was not shut off; its speed was reduced. And once the speed was reduced, we could no longer shoot them down."
The Ukrainian leader also denied using Starlink to carry out strikes against targets inside Russia, saying Kyiv had requested permission to use the service for such operations.
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"We do not use Starlink to launch attacks or carry out retaliatory strikes on Russian territory. That is precisely why we appealed to SpaceX and the White House to enable this capability for us," he said.
Earlier in the week, Zelensky accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of cutting Starshield satellite internet access, warning that 'people will die' as a result.
Musk responded on social media, saying it was "time for Zelensky to go".
The disagreement comes amid growing tensions between Kyiv and Washington, with reports suggesting European Union leaders are concerned about the worsening relationship.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump criticised Zelensky over efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.
Trump described the Ukrainian leader as 'not a good guy for us to deal with… he doesn't want to settle', while calling for elections in Ukraine.
He also condemned Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, describing the strikes as 'a disgrace'.
Trump further claimed that Zelensky was 'more difficult to deal with than Putin'.
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The criticism followed Zelensky's announcement that Ukraine was resuming attacks on Russian refineries after temporarily restricting the operations.
Speaking to a UK media outlet, Zelensky said the restrictions had been in place for three days before being lifted.
"The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done."
The diplomatic dispute had already intensified on Wednesday when Zelensky accused Trump of 'betraying' him following suggestions that Washington had suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Trump denied the allegation.
The US president also called for a 'new Ukrainian president' after Zelensky criticised Washington's latest diesel agreement with Russia.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
