Ukraine has accused the United States of indirectly helping Russia after deadly missile attacks hit Kyiv for a second consecutive night, with officials raising concerns over the lack of advance warnings and reported restrictions affecting the Starlink satellite internet system used by Ukrainian forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to American billionaire Elon Musk to restore Starlink services, which Kyiv says have experienced speed restrictions affecting military operations, including the use of interceptor drones against Russian attacks.
Speaking to British journalist Piers Morgan, Zelensky said he hoped the reported disruption was caused by a technical problem rather than a deliberate decision.
“I hope that it’s a mistake, maybe huge technical problem,” Zelensky said. “I don’t know, but we are asking to do it, to switch (it) on.”
Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov later announced that Starlink operations at speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour were being restored. He said the development should allow strike drones and interceptor drones to resume flying.
The Ukrainian leader also expressed disappointment with US President Donald Trump after the American leader announced a deal involving diesel supplies from heavily sanctioned Russia. Asked whether he felt betrayed, Zelensky answered affirmatively, saying Washington appeared to be taking Russia’s side.
“It’s painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side,” Zelensky said. “I think his advisors are wrong. I don’t know who is pushing him not to the right side. This is not (the) right side of history.”
Zelensky had earlier criticised the lack of warnings from allies ahead of a wave of Russian attacks that began on Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday morning. He described the situation as completely unjust and accused Moscow of violating what he said was an energy ceasefire announced unilaterally by Trump.
A senior Ukrainian official also confirmed that Washington had recently threatened to suspend intelligence sharing on Russian missile launches, information Kyiv relies on to detect and respond to incoming attacks. Trump denied making such a threat on Tuesday.
Ukrainian defence officials further suggested that the United States could be responsible for reported slowdowns affecting some Starlink terminals. The satellite internet service has played a significant role in Ukraine’s battlefield communications and military drone operations, including attacks on Russian-occupied territory.
“It’s obvious they (the United States) are helping Russia for some reason,” the senior Ukrainian official told AFP.
Zelensky’s adviser, Sergiy Beskrestnov, also suggested that the missile attacks and Starlink restrictions were connected. In a message posted on Telegram, he argued that the actions of Ukraine’s partners were undermining the country’s ability to defend itself against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.
There was no immediate response from Musk or SpaceX regarding the allegations.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was monitoring developments for any indication that Washington’s position on Ukraine was changing. However, he cautioned against drawing conclusions too quickly.
“We are carefully noting all this. It is too early to draw any systemic conclusions,” Peskov told reporters.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, said the first contracts for supplying diesel to the United States would be signed in the coming days. He added that discussions between Moscow and Washington were progressing rapidly.
“We are in close, hourly contact with the American side, and everything is moving very quickly,” Dmitriev said.
Trump, who is facing crucial midterm elections next month, has blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for tightening fuel supplies and increasing petrol prices in the United States.
However, most experts attribute the main pressure on global fuel supplies to joint American and Israeli attacks on Iran that began in late February. The conflict has seen Tehran block the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for international oil and gas shipments.
The latest accusations came as Russian missiles continued to strike Ukrainian cities, with Kyiv experiencing ballistic missile attacks for two consecutive nights. Residents reportedly had little time to seek shelter before air raid sirens sounded, forcing many to rush to basements, bomb shelters and metro stations.
Zelensky condemned Moscow’s actions, accusing Russia of showing unprecedented disregard for Washington despite Trump’s efforts to ease hostilities.
“Russia has never before shown such ostentatious disrespect toward the United States,” he said.
The failure to provide advance warnings has been relatively uncommon during the war. Ukrainian officials have previously suggested that such incidents could result from Russia using missiles that are difficult to detect or from possible technical problems.
Authorities said six people were killed and dozens injured in Kyiv on Wednesday. The attacks also caused significant damage to energy facilities and equipment, leaving large parts of the capital without electricity.
In the eastern Kharkiv region, power plants came under ballistic missile attacks. Other strikes were reported in Zhytomyr in northwestern Ukraine, Sumy in the northeast and Chernihiv in the north.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s electricity and heating infrastructure, damaging supplies ahead of winter, when temperatures can fall as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius.
Elsewhere, authorities reported two deaths in the central Dnipropetrovsk region and another in Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine.
The Interior Ministry also said six people were killed when a drone struck a wholesale business in the western city of Lutsk, adding to the casualties from the latest wave of Russian attacks.
Source: AFP
