Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned Friday, Oct. 23, that restrictions on Ukraine’s military satellite communications have had deadly consequences, raising serious concerns about reliance on American technology while Russia continues attacking Ukrainian civilians.
Speaking to reporters in Istanbul, Carney expressed alarm over reported manipulation of SpaceX’s Starshield system, the military-grade version of Starlink, which Ukraine relies on for drone operations and defense against Russian aerial attacks.
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“However the decision came about, it does seem clear that there was a slowdown of that system with real consequences, human consequences, direct casualties,” Carney said, according to Bloomberg.
The Canadian leader sharply criticized the decision to restrict a critical defense system while Ukraine fights Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“I search for the right adjective to describe whoever took this decision, or a group of people took this decision, against a country – and it’s 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.”
Carney linked the communications disruptions to the broader human cost of Russia’s continuing attacks on Ukrainian cities, citing a recent strike on Kyiv that targeted civilians.
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“I just refer in the last 36 hours to the attack at the center of Kyiv,” he said.
“Kyiv, absolutely no dressing up on any sort of military or quasi-military target, just a direct attack on citizens and with immense human suffering. So this is real, this is concrete.”
His remarks came amid growing concern among Ukraine’s Western allies about the risks of relying on US technology, as sudden restrictions could undermine national security and disrupt critical military operations.
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