A possible cessation of the exchange of intelligence data by the United States would be a heavy loss for Ukraine, but will not stop the resistance. This was stated by journalist and commander of a drone company in the "Hartiya" brigade Yuri Butusov in an interview with "Ukrainskaya Pravda". According to him, American information is one of the key advantages of the Ukrainian army, but the country also has support from European partners and its own intelligence services.
The issue became acute after warnings by US President Donald Trump that Washington may stop the exchange of intelligence data if Ukraine continues to strike Russian oil refineries. On October 14, Ukrainian forces recorded communication failures in drones equipped with Starlink terminals. A few days earlier, air defense units received delayed signals of Russian ballistic missile launches.
No official explanation for the problems with satellite communication has been provided. Donald Trump and SpaceX owner Elon Musk have denied involvement in limiting the speed of military communication. On October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Brussels that a return to previous indicators had not occurred and described what happened as a “planned special operation“.
What does the loss of American data mean
Butusov points out that American intelligence agencies monitor Russian airspace and the country's territory, record missile launches and aircraft flights, and intercept Russian communications. Therefore, the termination of the exchange would affect Ukrainian operations in a comprehensive manner, not just long-range strikes.
“This will be a painful loss, but it will not stop us“, Butusov said.According to him, a complete cessation of American support would be contrary to the interests of the United States itself. He assumes that such a move would cause strong political and informational pressure on the Trump administration.
Starlink and unmanned operations
As the commander of a drone division, Butusov says that the limitation of Starlink at high speeds has had a direct impact on the work on the front. For aircraft-type strike drones that use the system, this can make their use practically impossible. According to him, the connection later resumed its operation at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour.
Butusov defines what happened as a demonstrative action, but emphasizes that no official explanation has been given. He does not accept the comments of former Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov and Elon Musk as explanations from responsible officials.
Russia retains the initiative in most sectors
According to Butusov, Russian forces have not lost the initiative along the entire front. He states that in most sectors they continue to advance, use firepower and try to break through Ukrainian defenses, although the pace of advance is slow.
Butusov believes that Moscow is counting on a prolonged war to exhaust Ukraine and may continue the conflict for at least another three, four or five years. According to him, the Russian goal is to force Kiev to recognize the annexation of Crimea and the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.
He points to the stabilization of the front as a condition for future negotiations. As an example, Butusov gives Operation “Vivaldi“, in which the 3rd Army Corps operated on a 130-kilometer front, controlling approximately 12% of the active line. According to him, there the Russian offensive was stopped, and Ukrainian forces regained the initiative.
Butusov also questions the effectiveness of some long-range strikes, when their cost is higher than the achieved result. He believes that resources should also be directed towards providing the infantry with unmanned aerial vehicles and to actions that limit Russian human resources.
Sources: pravda.com.ua