Zelensky’s accusation follows a barrage of rockets that shattered power plants in Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Chernigiv, plunging large swaths of Kyiv into darkness. The night‑time assault left the city’s infrastructure crippled, with emergency services scrambling to restore electricity.
Zelensky urged Elon Musk to restore Starlink’s full speed, calling the slowdown a “huge technical problem.” He told UK journalist Piers Morgan that Ukraine’s battlefield communications were being hampered, and that Starlink had been cut to 160 km/h, stalling strike and interceptor drones.
Musk said the disruption was the U.S. government’s fault, not SpaceX, and explained that Starshield—Ukraine’s military‑grade system—is owned and controlled by the U.S. military. He added that any limits on speed or usage are dictated by the U.S. commander and ultimately President Donald Trump.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Russia is watching Washington’s support for Ukraine closely, adding that the U.S. had threatened to stop intelligence on Russian missile launches. Meanwhile, Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev said diesel contracts with the United States would be signed in the coming days, underscoring Moscow’s careful monitoring of American aid.
The United States has pledged to address the Starlink slowdown within 48 hours, while Russia maintains a tight watch on Washington’s assistance, setting the stage for further diplomatic maneuvering in the coming days.