President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Financial Times that Ukraine's block on striking Russian refineries is "out" and "we're done," after Kyiv paused attacks on energy targets for three days at Washington's request. The pause followed an "energy ceasefire" announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday, October 11, aimed at stopping Ukraine and Russia from attacking each other's power facilities and lowering oil and diesel prices ahead of the US midterm elections next month.
Despite Ukraine's halt, officials in Kyiv said the country was stripped of advance warnings of incoming ballistic missiles because Starlink connectivity services were restricted across the country, disrupting military operations. The restrictions also affected the sister service Starshield. Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelenskyy on defense technology, said on Telegram that SpaceX had implemented a speed limit on Starlink terminals in motion without notifying Ukrainian defense forces. "It is clear that this action cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation," he wrote.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded that Starshield systems are "owned and controlled by the US government," placing ultimate responsibility for any curbs on Washington. The White House and SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.
In an interview with Piers Morgan released late Wednesday, Zelenskyy was asked whether he felt "betrayed by what has been happening." He answered: "Really, yes," but stressed that Ukraine's survival and its strategic relationship with the United States mattered more than his personal emotions. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had honored the proposed energy ceasefire for three days, refraining from both attacks and retaliation even as Russia continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.