Ukraine has reportedly launched a major assault on a Russian airfield. The attack on the Borisoglebsk airfield in Voronezh Oblast comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims he has been "betrayed" by US President Donald Trump.
Starlink access blocked
Zelensky alleges that Trump and associate Elon Musk deliberately cut off Starlink access for Ukraine during the night, with the Ukrainian military experiencing reduced connectivity speeds. Starlink is a satellite internet service run by SpaceX, Musk's aerospace firm. It delivers high-speed broadband worldwide.
When asked by Piers Morgan whether he had been "betrayed" by the Trump administration, Zelensky replied, "Yes."
"It's a pity that we are losing a strong partner," Mr Zelensky stated while appearing on the YouTube chat show, "Piers Morgan Uncensored".
Zelensky informed Mr Morgan: "I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely. Because it was 1am at night, Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States.
"This decision will bring a lot of human losses. Of course, people will die."
Military impact and response
The action followed Russian aerial bombardments that killed at least nine people in Ukraine and left hundreds of thousands without electricity and just days after Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire".
Ukrainian troops were compelled to abandon operations after losing access to high-speed services. This prompted Musk to state that any military usage of the Starlink network was a concern for the US government and the US president.
He stated: "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.
"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."
White House contacts
Axios revealed that Zelensky's senior advisers contacted White House officials on Wednesday and enquired whether there was a decision to disable Starlink and what measures could be taken to resolve the situation.
The news publication reported that two White House officials confirmed Ukraine had approached the Pentagon, which oversees Starshield, and that the defence department lacks authority over Starlink. Trump was allegedly contacting SpaceX to establish what had occurred.
