Kyiv based foreign policy/security analyst Currently focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine Special Correspondent @KyivIndependent - opinions mine alone
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My latest: Ukraine’s Starshield access is still crippled, no-one is taking the blame, and Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying because of it.
kyivindependent.com/analysis…
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Jimmy Rushton retweeted
My latest: Ukraine’s Starshield access is still crippled, no-one is taking the blame, and Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying because of it.
kyivindependent.com/analysis…
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This operation was conducted by one of the most innovative SSO battalions who pioneered the use of DJI Avata 2 and 5-inch fiber optic cable FPVs in assault operations. Small assault teams can defeat larger forces with proper planning and effective employment of UAS while sustaining few casualties.
Archive footage 🎥 Ukrainian SOF 8th Regiment operators regained control of Novoselivka (Lyman direction), eliminated 25+ russian soldiers, and captured 13 more in two months.
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Jimmy Rushton retweeted
SCOOP: Trump may be considering a fertilizer deal with Russia, sources tell me and @JimmySecUK.
The U.S. hasn't sanctioned the industry directly or banned Russian fertilizer imports. But a deal could still lift sanctions on vessels, companies, banks and individuals linked to it, sources say.
kyivindependent.com/exclusiv…
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Neither Moscow nor Kyiv have commented on this.
The last time the U.S. unexpectedly announced any form of limited truce - Trump’s surprise “energy ceasefire” on 11 October - it was accepted by Ukraine but immediately broken by Russia.
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My latest: Ukraine’s Starshield access is still crippled, no-one is taking the blame, and Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying because of it.
kyivindependent.com/analysis…
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"Overall, there's no change anywhere," a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent, when asked about whether Trump's intervention with Musk had solved the problems with Starshield."
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"Starshield still doesn't work," a Ukrainian intelligence official confirmed to the Kyiv Independent. According to multiple military sources, the unpredictable "speed limit" that caps a terminal's speed at 160 kph — and in many cases, at much slower speeds — is still in place, severely hampering Ukrainian drone operations."
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Ukrainian Starshield terminals still don't work properly, multiple sources tell me. This is despite an apparent order from President Trump to Elon Musk to restore full functionality to Ukrainian Starshield terminals.
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The 160kph "speed limit" is still in place, multiple sources tell me. It frequently drops to significantly lower speeds, which has resulted in the loss of many UAF drones. Sources says they suspect the instability is deliberate; designed to further complicate drone operations.
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Other journalists also confirm the instability affecting Ukraine's Starshield terminals:
There are reports this morning that @SpaceX’s Starshield has been restored for Ukrainian use. That is not the case.
As one staff officer from a key, large unit, told me just now:
“We fly over 180 (km/h), fly for a few minutes, lose connection, drop to 140-150, lose connection, speed up again but the connection is still crashing.”
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American legislators on both sides of the aisle should recognise the absurdity of allowing a critical piece of U.S. national security infrastructure to be controlled by an unstable drug abusing billionaire.
I mean, if Starshield can be throttled in Ukraine, can it also be throttled in the Persian Gulf or around Taiwan if Musk disagrees with this or that military operation? The mystery of the last week certainly raises the question.
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There were no U.S. troops in Ukraine in 2022, aside from a whatever small contingent was guarding the U.S. embassy.
The document you are quoting - which you apparently either didn't read, or failed to understand - refers to "allied" troops in "Eastern Europe", not Ukraine.
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The Trump administration fully throwing Elon Musk under the bus now, laying responsibility for the sabotage of Ukraine’s Starshield satellite communications firmly at the feet of the SpaceX CEO.
NEW: Trump called Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on a military-grade version of Starlink in Ukraine that the SpaceX chief had throttled, U.S. officials said.
The system was working more normally Thursday, shortly after their conversation, per Us and Ukrainian officials
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Jimmy Rushton retweeted
Look what snowflakes these people are. Witkoff could have said “thank you.” He called Putin a “humanitarian” days after his drone murdered a baby in her stroller, and the baby’s mother. Tweet through the universal condemnation, though—that’ll help.
Should the Special Envoy have insulted the man, imperiled the release of an American citizen, and torched any possibility of finally resolving a war that has gone on for far too long?
These things are complicated. This is why you’re not a negotiator.
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Russia attacked the centre of Kyiv with Iskander ballistic missiles containing cluster munitions during last night's attack, Ukrainian authorities confirm.
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Jimmy Rushton retweeted
One of the most powerful missile attacks on Kyiv in recent memory. Dozens of explosions. Russian missiles are hitting various parts of the city tonight.
It seems Witkoff was negotiating not peace in Moscow, but more strikes on Ukraine. After his visit, "humanist" Putin became even more furious in his killing.
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