Ukraine has reportedly carried out a massive strike on the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, as President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has been "betrayed" by US President Donald Trump.
Zelensky claims that Trump and ally Elon Musk deliberately blocked Starlink access for Ukraine overnight, with the Ukrainian military facing slowdowns in speed. Starlink is a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, Musk's aerospace company, providing high-speed broadband globally.
Zelensky's 'betrayal' claim
Asked by Piers Morgan if he had been "betrayed" by the Trump administration, Zelensky answered, "Yes."
"It's a pity that we are losing a strong partner," Zelensky said while appearing on the YouTube talk show "Piers Morgan Uncensored."
Zelensky told 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."
Impact on Ukrainian forces
The move came after Russian air attacks killed at least nine people in Ukraine and left hundreds of thousands without power, just days after Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" in the more-than-four-year war.
Ukrainian forces were forced to cancel missions after losing access to high-speed services. It led Musk to declare that any military use of the Starlink network was a matter for the US government and the US president, while others said connectivity was being restored after the outcry.
Musk's response
He said: "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."
Axios reported that Zelensky's top advisors spoke to White House officials on Wednesday and asked whether there was a decision to shut down Starlink and what could be done to remedy the situation. The news outlet reported that two White House officials said Ukraine had contacted the Pentagon, which has control over Starshield, and that the defence department does not have control over Starlink.
Trump was reportedly reaching out to SpaceX to determine what transpired.
