160 km/h: Carney Says Satellite Gap Kills Ukrainians

Prime Minister Mark Carney stated on Friday that restrictions on Ukraine's access to military-grade satellite technology are causing direct civilian casualties. Speaking in Istanbul, Carney criticized the judgment of those who implemented the access cuts. He described Ukraine as a country fighting for its citizens' lives against naked aggression. Carney confirmed that his government is concerned about the situation.

Ukrainian officials reported early last week that they lost partial access to Starshield. Starshield is the military version of Starlink, a satellite communications system owned by SpaceX. Elon Musk runs the company. Ukraine uses Starshield to track incoming missiles and jet-powered drones. It also guides interceptor and spy drones. Starlink handles critical internal communications.

The source of the order remains disputed. Reuters cited two U.S. officials who said the White House issued the command. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Musk ordered the move personally. Musk stated that Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government. He said the U.S. military and President Donald Trump decide on restrictions. Trump denied ordering the curbs on Friday. He said he did not know who ordered them and would not say even if he did.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine can no longer track drones or missiles traveling faster than 160 kilometres per hour. He stated that this gap has complicated efforts to repel Russian attacks. Zelenskyy linked the tracking failure to civilian deaths, including children. Carney agreed that the restrictions have real human consequences. He pointed to an attack in central Kyiv within the previous 36 hours. He called it a direct strike on citizens with no military target.

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 confirmed on Friday that the restrictions remain in place. Zelenskyy told NBC Meet The Press on Sunday that he believes the U.S. government sent the message to limit speed. He said SpaceX carried out the technical implementation.

The cuts arrive as relations between Kyiv and Washington weaken. Trump is pushing Ukraine to accept stronger concessions in a peace deal. He has also pressured Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries. Starshield is not used for those drones because the system does not operate over Russian territory.

Carney noted that relying on an ally that may change its view puts Canadians at risk. He said this realization drives decisions to diversify partnerships and build sovereign capabilities in Canada. He warned that Canada is currently highly reliant on systems in certain countries. Zelenskyy is working to reduce Ukraine's reliance on the U.S. network. On Thursday, he signed a letter of intent with Finnish companies Nokia and ICEYE to develop a Ukrainian satellite communications network.