Ukraine accuses US of helping Russia

KYIV: Ukraine has accused the United States of indirectly helping Russia by failing to warn Kyiv of incoming missile attacks and restricting access to Starlink satellite services used by its military.

President Volodymyr Zelensky urged US billionaire Elon Musk to restore Starlink’s performance, saying the system appeared to have slowed down and was affecting Ukraine’s battlefield operations.

“I hope that it’s a mistake, maybe huge technical problem,” Zelensky told British journalist Piers Morgan, appealing for the service to be switched back on.

Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov later said Starlink operations at speeds of up to 160km/h were being restored, allowing strike and interceptor drones to fly again.

Musk said any restrictions were the responsibility of the US government rather than his SpaceX company. He distinguished Starshield, a system owned and controlled by Washington for government and military use, from the civilian Starlink network, which Ukraine also deploys but is not permitted to use for offensive operations.

Zelensky said he felt betrayed after US President Donald Trump announced a diesel-supply deal with Russia, which remains under heavy sanctions. He criticised Trump for appearing to favour Moscow and accused Russia of violating an energy ceasefire that Trump had announced unilaterally.

A senior Ukrainian official said Washington had recently threatened to suspend intelligence on Russian missile launches, which Kyiv uses to defend against attacks. Trump denied making such a threat.

Ukrainian officials linked the reported intelligence concerns and Starlink restrictions to a wave of Russian strikes on Tuesday night and Wednesday. One adviser said the restrictions were undermining Ukraine’s ability to counter jet-powered Shahed drones.

The Kremlin said Moscow was monitoring developments but considered it too early to conclude that US support for Ukraine had fundamentally changed. Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said contracts for diesel supplies to the United States were expected to be signed within days.

The dispute comes as Trump faces domestic pressure over rising fuel prices ahead of next month’s midterm elections. He has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, while many experts attribute the price surge primarily to US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s closure of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv for a second consecutive night, reportedly killing 15 people nationwide and damaging energy facilities. Power outages affected large parts of the capital, while several other regions also came under attack.

Ukraine said the absence of timely warnings left residents with little time to seek shelter. Russian attacks have repeatedly targeted power and heating infrastructure, raising concerns over supplies ahead of winter. – AFP