Carney links Kyiv civilian deaths to 160 km/h satellite tracking gap
The Canadian prime minister stated that recent missile strikes hit targets because Ukraine could not track fast-moving threats after access to Starshield was restricted.
By Benjamin Rousseau ·
Tensions between Washington and Kyiv have deepened over a technical dispute regarding satellite communications that Ukrainian officials say is costing lives. Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the issue on Friday from Istanbul, where he argued that a decision to limit Ukraine's access to a military satellite network has resulted in direct civilian casualties.
Carney described the restrictions as having real human consequences. He stated that some recent deaths are direct results of the country's reduced ability to track incoming threats. Specifically, he pointed to an attack on central Kyiv within the previous 36 hours, which he characterized as a direct strike on citizens with no military target nearby.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy provided the specific technical limitation. He said that since the restrictions began, Ukraine has been unable to track drones and missiles traveling faster than 160 kilometres per hour. This gap has complicated efforts to repel Russian attacks, leading to civilian deaths that include children.
The origin of the restriction remains disputed among U.S. officials. Reuters reported last week that two U.S. officials said the order came from inside the White House. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Elon Musk ordered the move personally. Musk maintains that Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government and that the U.S. military decides on restrictions.
President Donald Trump has denied ordering the curbs. On Friday, he said he did not know who made the decision and would not say even if he did. On Thursday, Trump claimed that Musk had restored Ukraine's access, but Zelenskyy contradicted this in a CNN interview, stating that the system still does not work.
Ukrainian military officials confirmed on Friday that the restrictions remain in place. In an NBC interview on Sunday, Zelenskyy said he believes the American government sent a message to limit the speed and that SpaceX carried it out technically. He noted that Ukraine's generals and government share this view.
Carney used the incident to question the reliability of current alliances. Without naming Trump, he said relying on an ally that may change their view puts Canadians at risk. He said this leads to decisions to diversify partnerships and build sovereign capabilities, a process that will take time because Canada is currently highly reliant on certain systems in other countries.
Ukraine is taking steps to reduce its dependency on the U.S. network. On Thursday, Zelenskyy signed a letter of intent with Finnish companies Nokia and ICEYE to develop a Ukrainian satellite communications network. This move comes as Trump pushes Ukraine to accept stronger concessions in a peace deal.
Source: CBC News
