In brief
An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Ukraine’s lack of reliable early‑warning intelligence from the United States has already contributed to civilian and military casualties. The adviser notes that the warning system has been inconsistent, at times arriving minutes before an attack. The U.S. denies any deliberate pause, while Kyiv continues to face restrictions on the Starlink satellite network, which hampers drone operations. Both issues coincide as Ukraine pushes the U.S. to reconsider its diplomatic engagement with Russia. Ukrainian officials are exploring alternative communication systems and urge clarification from Washington.
Intelligence gap leaves Ukrainians vulnerable to missile attacks
Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, told the BBC that Ukrainian civilians and soldiers have already died because the United States has halted or slowed the transmission of early‑warning intelligence on Russian missile launches.
According to Beskrestnov, the warning system has been inconsistent – sometime giving hours’ notice, other times arriving only minutes before an attack. Sometimes we receive information before the attack, another time we do not.
The U.S. has denied that any deliberate pause has taken place. White House officials stress that there have been no changes to intelligence‑sharing operations and that the United States continues to provide more aid to Ukraine than any other country.
In parallel, Kyiv has been told its use of the Starlink internet network, including the Starshield military service that supports drone and helicopter operations, has been throttled to 100 mph. Beskrestnov said the limitations could hamper Ukraine’s ability to shoot down drones and launch mid‑range strikes.
Both restrictions coincide at a time when Ukraine is pressing the U.S. for a broader diplomatic engagement with Russia. It’s probably the United States trying to say to us, ‘let’s have the conversation, negotiation with Russia, you should find the compromise', Beskrestnov told the BBC.
Ukrainian officials are exploring alternative communication systems and urge the U.S. to clarify the cause of the delays. Starlink’s CEO, Elon Musk, has said that the U.S. government ultimately controls access to Starshield, but no definitive explanation has been given.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied any pause in intelligence sharing, citing a software problem with the early‑warning system. Meanwhile, the BBC has requested a response from Starlink.
