KYIV — Hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned “people will die” as a result of sudden restrictions in the battered nation’s access to Elon Musk’s Starlink system, officials reported the capabilities that allow Ukraine’s military to track incoming missiles was being restored.
Mr. Zelensky, in London on Wednesday for a meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, told talk show host Piers Morgan that he hopes the limitation was only a “mistake,” amid questions among Ukraine’s allies in Washington and around the world about whether the growing tensions between Mr. Zelensky and President Trump factored into the satellite system slowdown.
“Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Mr. Musk wrote on X.
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“Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company,” Mr. Musk said.
Ukrainian drones lost some of their speed after restrictions were suddenly imposed on battlefield use of the country’s U.S.-made Starlink communication terminals, officials said Wednesday as the capital endured a second consecutive night of missile attacks.
At the same time, Ukraine did not receive the usual advance warning from its Western partners about the devastating Russian ballistic missiles aimed at Kyiv, Mr. Zelenskyy said, triggering fears that Ukraine is being starved of vital intelligence, especially from the U.S.
Mr. Zelenskyy did not specify which partners he was talking about when referring to the lack of warning. U.S. President Trump has said the U.S. has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
The developments frustrated the Ukrainian military and deepened fears that Kyiv’s relationship with Washington is unraveling.
Ukrainian officials fear U.S. support for the war effort is falling away after Mr. Trump struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel despite international efforts to sanction Russia for its invasion and isolate Mr. Putin.
Mr. Trump has also leveled sharp criticism at Mr. Zelenskyy. He said Saturday that it was time for Ukraine to get a new president, suggesting Mr. Zelenskyy has not done enough to end the war with Russia and blaming him for high diesel prices in the U.S.
Mr. Trump’s efforts to stop the fighting have yielded no progress.
Starlink is a vital tool for the Ukrainian military, both in offensive and defensive operations. The network is used for long-range drone missions, interceptor air-defense systems and front-line logistics.
The White House did not offer any immediate comment.
Yurii Ihnat, Ukraine’s air force spokesman, said there was no warning of an initial Russian ballistic missile attack on Tuesday night, although Kyiv was warned about three later waves of missiles.
Mr. Zelenskyy voiced outrage Wednesday over Russia’s continuing aerial bombardment of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in apparent defiance of Mr. Trump’s demand for a ceasefire.
“We ask America and EVERYONE in the world who does not turn a blind eye to reality to respond - and to respond forcefully” to Russia’s ongoing aerial barrages, Mr. Zelenskyy said in a social media post.
“Russia has squandered the opportunity for de-escalation and has clearly chosen to continue its insane war of annihilation,” he said.
Moscow’s forces pounded the Ukrainian power grid, as well as oil and gas facilities, for the third straight night, Mr. Zelenskyy said, after Mr. Trump claimed that Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to strike energy infrastructure 4½ years after Moscow’s forces invaded.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that details of the energy ceasefire are still being decided. “The work in that direction is continuing,” he told reporters.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its forces attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in Kyiv, the wider Kyiv region and the northeastern Kharkiv region overnight, striking a total of six power plants.
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