Ukraine's drone ops slow after Musk's Starlink curbs as Trump warms to Putin

Ukrainian drone operations slowed after restrictions were suddenly imposed on the battlefield use of the country's US-made Starlink communication terminals, officials said Wednesday, as Kyiv endured a second consecutive night of missile attacks.Zelenskyy's drone arsenal slows after Musk's Starlink curbs as US support wanes and Trump warms to Putin.Ukraine also did not receive the usual advance warning from its Western partners about devastating Russian ballistic missiles targeting Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The development has raised concerns that Ukraine may be losing access to vital intelligence, particularly from the US.Zelenskyy did not specify which partners he was referring to when he spoke about the lack of warning. US President Donald Trump has said Washington has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.The developments have frustrated the Ukrainian military and fuelled fears that Kyiv's relationship with Washington is deteriorating.Ukrainian officials are concerned that US support for the war effort could be weakening after Trump struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel, despite international efforts to sanction Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine and isolate Putin.Trump has also criticised Zelenskyy. On Saturday, he said it was time for Ukraine to get a new president, suggesting Zelenskyy had failed to do enough to end the war and blaming him for high diesel prices in the US.Trump's efforts to end the fighting have yielded no progress.Starlink is essential for UkraineUkrainian officials fear that US support, particularly military intelligence sharing and access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications system, could be at risk.SpaceX, Musk's company, imposed a speed limit on Ukraine's Starlink terminals mounted on drones overnight, Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelenskyy, said on social media. The restriction disrupted operations and made slower-flying attack drones more vulnerable to Russian air defences.By late Wednesday, drone operators were reporting improved data connections, with speeds reaching 161 kph (100 mph), Zelenskyy said.However, a Ukrainian official said the speed remained insufficient to intercept jet-powered Russian drones and that all restrictions needed to be lifted. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the details involved sensitive military information.Musk said on X that the military version of Starlink is controlled by the US military and Trump. The Pentagon and US Space Force did not immediately respond to questions about whether the American military had imposed any restrictions on satellite communications services in Ukraine.Starlink is a crucial tool for Ukraine's military, supporting both offensive and defensive operations. The network is used for long-range drone missions, interceptor air-defence systems and frontline logistics, Beskrestnov said.“Obviously, this action cannot be a coincidence and is connected to the current political situation,” Beskrestnov said, without elaborating.The White House did not immediately comment.Kyiv received no warning before initial ballistic missile attackUkraine's air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said Kyiv received no warning before an initial Russian ballistic missile attack on Tuesday night, although warnings were issued ahead of three subsequent waves of missiles.A lawmaker on Ukraine's parliamentary Defence Committee told The Associated Press that intelligence sharing with international partners had not stopped. The lawmaker spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the press.Five people were killed and 36 wounded in a Russian attack on Kyiv that lasted from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, police said.Russia continues strikes on Ukraine's power grid despite Trump's truce demandZelenskyy expressed outrage Wednesday over Russia's continued aerial bombardment of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, apparently defying Trump's call 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 continued aerial attacks, 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.Russian forces targeted Ukraine's power grid, oil facilities and gas infrastructure for a third consecutive night, Zelenskyy said. The attacks came after Trump claimed Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to target energy infrastructure, more than four years after Moscow launched its invasion.Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has agreed to halt Ukraine's months-long campaign against Russian oil refineries, which had caused fuel shortages in Russia.Ukraine's last widely reported strike on an oil refinery took place on Friday. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak accused Ukraine of attacking more refineries on Wednesday, but local officials and independent media did not report such attacks. Ukraine dismissed the allegation as false.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that details of the energy ceasefire were still being worked out. “The work in that direction is continuing,” he told reporters.Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure in Kyiv, the wider Kyiv region and the northeastern Kharkiv region overnight, striking six power plants.Russian forces struck all three of Kyiv's combined heat and power plants overnight into Wednesday, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said. At least 600,000 people were left without electricity, Zelenskyy said.Russia fired 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 drones at energy and other infrastructure in Kyiv, the surrounding region and Kharkiv overnight, Zelenskyy said.Zelenskyy visits London to seek further supportZelenskyy arrived in London on Wednesday for talks with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who announced the accelerated delivery of British-made air-defence systems to Ukraine.Before their hour-long meeting at Downing Street, Burnham told Zelenskyy that Britain's support for Ukraine would remain unchanged, acknowledging that recent days had been “dark and difficult” for the country. Zelenskyy also met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace.European leaders remain concerned about Moscow's broader ambitions on the continent and have accused Russia of sabotage as part of a hybrid war. They are seeking to ensure Washington continues to support Kyiv.Ukraine claims battlefield gains against Russian forcesUkrainian officials said their forces were pushing back Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow's larger army has been trying to make advances for years.Ukraine has recaptured 277 square kilometres (107 square miles) in an operation that began in the summer, said Brig Gen Andrii Biletskyi, commander of Ukraine's Third Army Corps, on Wednesday.The claim could not be independently verified, and Russian officials did not comment.Russia's defence ministry said its air defences had shot down 902 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions, Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed, and the waters of the Sea of Azov overnight.Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 493 drones had flown towards the capital region. Most were intercepted far from the city, while 180 were shot down as they approached Moscow. He did not report any damage or casualties.Russian state-backed lender Sberbank confirmed that its data centre in Saratov had come under attack. The facility had once been planned as Europe's largest data centre.Russian state news agency Tass quoted a member of Sberbank's board as saying the bank's systems were operating normally.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.