The US could restrict Ukrainian troops’ access to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet services as part of the Trump administration’s plan to limit intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Starlink provides critical internet connectivity to Ukrainians and its armed forces who depend on it to operate drones, a vital element of its military strategy.
Military analysts have described such a move as a “game changer”.
Mikael Skillt, a former Ukrainian special forces operative who fought the Russian invasion until recently said that losing access to Starlink would be a “clusterf**k” which would leave hospitals, critical infrastructure and military units without communications.
“US satellites aren’t useful only on battlefield,” they said. “They help to prevent attacks on civilians power stations, residentials buildings, infrastructure.”
Earlier last month, US negotiators pressing for a critical mineral deal with Ukraine were reported by Reuters to have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Starlink in meetings with Zelensky. At the time Musk denied the reports.
Musk said Zelenksy wants a ‘forever war’
However on Monday, after the shouting match between Trump and Zelensky in the White House Musk wrote on X that the Ukrainian President “wants a forever war, a never-ending graft meat grinder.”
“This is evil,” he added.
The US has already pulled vital intelligence sharing in Ukraine following a directive by the Trump administration to suspend military aid deliveries to Ukraine.
UK intelligence officials are monitoring the situation closely and preparing to step in where they can plug any gaps left by a US intelligence drop-out from Ukraine.
Trump’s willingness to use intelligence tools as a bargaining chip has increased fears among security officials that Ukraine’s use of Musk’s Starlink satellite internet systems may be pulled from troops on the battlefield.
A Ukrainian Government official warned if the US pulled access to Starlink as part of the directive it would put Ukrainians in further danger and cut key military communications.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said the US has “taken a step back” on sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters, Waltz added the US is “pausing and reviewing all aspects of this relationship”.
A US official said the measures relate to intelligence provided by the US Department of Defence such as assistance launching precision strikes on Russian targets and will not impact work in US agencies on Ukrainian soil.
Alexander Khara, a former advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, said the move will “cost human lives and territory in Ukraine.
He said: “Such a decision affects the situation awareness, target acquisition and damage assessment, as well as the ability to strike with American-made systems.
“The overall effect on the battlefield is remained to be seen but I fear it will cost us human lives and bits of territory.”
A Ukrainian soldier uses the Starlink system during military exercises in the Chernihiv region, Ukraine, June 2023 (Photo: Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto)Skillt said Trump’s recent comments have made the US and Starlink unreliable, and units should start the costly process of switching to alternate providers, such as OneWeb – a London-based subsidiary of French satellite company Eutelsat with over 600 satellites in orbit.
“I would switch into another solution like OneWeb,” he said. “Being reliant on a solution that isn’t 100% trustworthy, isn’t a very good solution.”
A Eutelsat spokesman said the company was already operating in Ukraine and that OneWeb could provide an “alternative”.
“We are actively collaborating with European institutions and business partners to enable the swift deployment of additional user terminals for critical missions and infrastructure,” the company said.
square INTELLIGENCE ExclusiveUK security services' concern over intelligence sharing with Trump administration
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A scenario where Musk and Trump attempt to cut Ukraine off Starlink would leave over half the military units without communication lines, according to the Ukrainian commander who said not having “vital” US intelligence will significantly impact the daily military operations against Russian forces.
“Some of the intelligence products given to us daily by the US are vital to our work,” they said. “It is possible that the UK could step up but it is hard to know exactly what they would be willing to offer.”
They added: “This will cause bigger problems for us than bullets.”
Musk rushed thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to replace communications services destroyed by Russia after its February 2022 invasion. The service has become a backbone of military operations in the country, allowing units to communicate with one another. The satellite systems are financed partly by the US Department of Defence while around half of the 42,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine are paid for by Poland.
The US has spent a decade establishing a deep-rooted intelligence relationship with Ukraine’s military and intelligence bodies. It supported a network of spy bases near the Russian border and trained an elite Ukrainian commando force to intercept Russian drones and communications gear – one of the unit’s graduates, Krylo Budanov, now heads up the country’s military intelligence.
A US official said that despite the Trump administration’s decision to cut intelligence ties with Kyiv “back channels” would be used to make sure key information was reaching the country.
Trump uses intelligence as bargaining chip
Nicholas Drummond, a former British Army officer turned defence analyst, said Trump’s removal of military aid could spark a “wider conflict” with Russia.
He said: “If the US does take away this stuff it means Russia can attack without being stopped. My concern is that NATO would have to step up and the extent to which we step up might antagonise Russia and they might have to call our bluff.
“Trump by doing this might could precipitate a wider conflict.”
Drummond added: “US agencies are deeply involved in some of the secretive operations and even if Trump orders everyone out today, they would not be able to pack up and leave on the spot … I would honestly be more nervous if Europe pulled out”
Trump’s use of intelligence as a bargaining chip has long been feared by security officials across Europe after a senior White House official threatened to remove Canada from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance.
Last week, this newspaper revealed that UK security service officials have sought assurances on the way intelligence is being used and disseminated by US counterparts amid growing concern over the US President’s shifting foreign policy.
The UK Foreign Office was approached for comment.
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