160 km/h: The speed limit Carney says blinds Ukraine to fast attacks

Prime Minister Mark Carney stated on Friday that restrictions on Ukraine's access to the Starshield satellite network have directly caused civilian deaths. Speaking in Istanbul, Carney described the recent attack on central Kyiv as a strike on citizens with no military target, resulting in immense human suffering. He asserted that the reduced tracking ability makes these deaths direct casualties of the access curbs.

Ukrainian officials reported early last week that they lost partial access to Starshield, the military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink system. The network is used to track incoming missiles and jet-powered drones and to guide interceptor assets. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the limitation means Ukraine can no longer track objects travelling faster than 160 kilometres per hour. This gap has complicated the defence against Russian missile and drone strikes, leading to casualties that include children.

The origin of the restriction remains contested. Reuters reported last week, citing two U.S. officials, that the order came from the White House. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Elon Musk ordered the change personally. Musk maintains that Starshield is owned by the U.S. government and that the U.S. military decides on restrictions. President Donald Trump denied ordering the curbs on Friday, stating he did not know who was responsible and would not say even if he did.

On Thursday, Trump claimed that Musk had restored Ukraine's access to the network. Zelenskyy contradicted this assessment 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, which SpaceX executed technically.

The dispute occurs while Trump pushes for stronger Ukrainian concessions in a peace deal. He has also urged Kyiv to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries, though Starshield is not used for those operations because it does not function over Russian territory. Carney noted that relying on an ally that may change its view places Canadians at risk, prompting a move to build sovereign capabilities.

Zelenskyy is already taking steps to reduce dependence 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. The agreement aims to provide alternative infrastructure for future military and communication needs.