The United States has warned the Ukrainian embassy in Washington that in the event of new attacks on Russian energy facilities, intelligence sharing with Kiev could be stopped immediately. The warning was issued on Monday by US officials, a source familiar with the situation, quoted by The Washington Post. At the same time, access to Starlink for Ukrainian military systems has been limited, which has increased doubts about a change in US policy.
According to the source, the exchange of information has not been completely stopped, but the threat remains. US President Donald Trump told reporters:
„We are helping them and sharing intelligence. We want the war to end.“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also confirmed that Ukrainian officials had received warnings, but they had not yet been fully implemented. The European Commission said it saw no signs of a complete cessation of intelligence sharing between Washington and Kiev.
Starlink hampers drones, air defense
Starlink limitations have affected terminals used by the Ukrainian armed forces to control drones and communicate on the battlefield. The connection began to drop at speeds of about 160 kilometers per hour, causing some units to cancel operations. A Ukrainian military source told The Economist:
“Almost all of our medium-range strike capabilities depend on Starlink.“
The system is also used by drones to scout, target and attack Russian positions in the occupied territories. According to the publication, the American intelligence information is faster and more detailed than the commercial satellite imagery available to Ukraine. It is also used to warn of missile attacks, as well as to overcome Russian electronic warfare means.
If access is cut off, the consequences will also affect air defense. According to The Economist, 95 percent of interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems depend on the PURL program, through which European countries buy American weapons for Ukraine. The next deliveries should show whether the program will continue without restrictions.
Drones and artificial intelligence in mine clearance
Amid dependence on American technology, Ukraine is developing its own solutions to another long-term threat. About 23 percent of the country's territory is considered contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance, and at least $1.5 billion has already been invested in mine clearance.
The teams use drones for surveillance, satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to analyze the terrain. Some operations involve remotely controlled machines that create noise, dust and vibrations to trigger mines without direct risk to the sappers. Some of the devices resemble small tanks and can operate faster than a human.
According to The Guardian, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service is already using drones for surveillance, but has not yet fully implemented artificial intelligence to analyze the captured images. Demining could continue for more than 10 years, including after the end of hostilities.
Sources: unian.net