Ukraine blames US data gaps and Starlink changes as missiles strike Kyiv
Ukraine accused the United States on Wednesday of undermining its defence against Russian attacks, saying Washington had failed to provide warnings about incoming missiles as strikes hit Kyiv. Ukrainian officials argued that the resulting gaps in information had helped Russia by leaving the country less able to anticipate and respond to the attacks.
Kyiv also said changes affecting Starlink, the satellite communications system used by Ukrainian forces on the battlefield, had slowed the service and hindered military operations. President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed directly to Elon Musk to restore Starlink’s previous performance.
The two complaints concern critical elements of Ukraine’s war effort: timely intelligence about aerial threats and dependable frontline communications. Ukraine presented both developments as constraints on its ability to defend its territory and coordinate its forces, and framed the alleged US warning failures as assistance to Russia. The available report did not include a response from the United States or Musk, nor did it provide details about the missile damage in Kyiv or explain what changes had been made to Starlink.
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