Carney: Starshield Cuts Leave Ukraine Blind to Fast Incoming Attacks

Prime Minister Mark Carney stated on Friday that Ukraine is losing lives because of restrictions on its access to the Starshield satellite network. He made the comments while speaking in Istanbul, describing the decision as a failure of judgment by those in power.

Ukrainian officials confirmed earlier in the week that they lost partial access to Starshield, the military version of the Starlink system operated by SpaceX. The network is used to track incoming missiles and jet-powered drones and to guide interceptors. Starlink, the commercial arm, handles internal communications.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the restrictions prevent Ukraine from tracking targets moving faster than 160 kilometers per hour. He said this gap has complicated defense efforts against Russian attacks, resulting in the deaths of civilians, including children. Carney agreed, noting that recent deaths are direct consequences of the reduced tracking ability. He cited a specific attack in central Kyiv that occurred within the previous 36 hours, calling it a direct strike on citizens with no military target.

The source of the order remains disputed. Reuters reported last week, citing two U.S. officials, that the White House issued the directive. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Elon Musk ordered it personally. Musk has stated that the U.S. government and President Donald Trump control the system. Trump denied ordering the curbs on Friday, saying he did not know who did and would not say even if he did.

Trump claimed on Thursday that Musk had restored Ukraine's access. Zelenskyy contradicted this in a CNN interview, stating the system still does not work. Ukrainian military officials also confirmed on Friday that the restrictions are still in place. Zelenskyy said on Sunday that he and his generals believe the U.S. government sent the message to limit speed and that SpaceX executed the technical change.

The dispute occurs as Trump pushes for stronger concessions from Ukraine in peace negotiations. He has also asked Kyiv to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries, a role Starshield does not play because it does not operate over Russian territory. Carney used the situation to argue that Canada must diversify its reliance on foreign systems.

Zelenskyy signed a letter of intent on Thursday with Finnish companies Nokia and ICEYE to develop an independent Ukrainian satellite communications network.