Carney Blames Satellite Cut For Civilian Deaths

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated on Friday that limits on Ukraine's satellite access are directly causing civilian deaths.

Speaking in Istanbul, Carney criticized the decision to restrict Ukraine's use of Starshield, the military version of the Starlink network owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX. He described the move as a failure of judgment by the group behind it.

"I search for the right adjective to describe whoever took this decision, or a group of people took this decision, against a country … that is literally fighting for the lives of its citizens against naked aggression," Carney said. "So are we concerned? Yes, we are concerned."

Ukrainian officials reported early last week that they lost partial access to Starshield. The system is critical for tracking incoming missiles and jet-powered drones and for guiding interceptors. Starlink, the commercial version, handles internal communications. Responsibility for the cut remains disputed. Reuters cited U.S. officials who said the order came from the White House. The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk ordered it personally. Musk has stated that the U.S. government controls Starshield and that commercial Starlink was not designed for military use. President Donald Trump denied ordering the curbs, saying on Friday that he did not know who did.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that since the restrictions began, Ukraine cannot track drones or missiles traveling faster than 160 kilometres per hour. This gap has made it harder to repel Russian attacks, leading to civilian deaths, including children. Carney agreed, noting that some recent deaths are direct casualties of the reduced tracking ability. He pointed to an attack in central Kyiv within the previous 36 hours, calling it a direct strike on citizens with no military target.

On Thursday, Trump said Musk had restored Ukraine's access. Zelenskyy contradicted this in a CNN interview, saying "it still doesn't work." Ukrainian military officials confirmed on Friday that the restrictions remain in place. In an NBC interview on Sunday, Zelenskyy said he believes the U.S. government sent a message to limit the speed, which SpaceX then implemented technically.

The dispute occurs as relations between Kyiv and Washington strain under pressure for a peace deal. Trump has pushed Ukraine to accept stronger concessions and stop strikes on Russian oil refineries. Carney said relying on an ally that may change its view puts Canadians at risk. He said Canada must build sovereign capabilities with partners, a process that will take time because Canada is highly reliant on systems in certain countries.

Zelenskyy is already working 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.