Ukrainian casualties have occurred as Kyiv continues to lack dependable US alerts on imminent Russian strikes, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov told the BBC that fatalities resulted from insufficient time to alert the public about incoming ballistic missile attacks, remarking, “It’s dangerous… I think it’s really very bad… People have already died.”
He added that limitations on Ukraine’s access to the Starlink internet service remain in effect.
The White House asserted that intelligence sharing with Ukraine has not been altered.
Ukraine initially reported a disruption in US intelligence sharing last week, amid a dispute with the Trump administration over its contentious agreement to purchase Russian oil, which drove bilateral relations to a new low.
Despite Washington’s denials, many in Kyiv believe the Starlink problems are not coincidental.
On Monday morning, Zelensky posted on social media: “Overnight, two ballistic missile strikes hit the capital—one without any warning, the other leaving only a brief window to seek shelter.”
A few hours earlier, an NBC interview with the president was published, in which he stated that intelligence sharing had been resumed after a three‑day interruption.
“We are very grateful for this,” he said. “Only the United States possesses the distinctive intelligence needed to inform us when Russia employs ballistic missiles.”
However, Beskrestnov told the BBC that U.S. intelligence remains patchy and unreliable, and that Washington has not offered a clear rationale for the shortfall.
“This looks very odd,” he said. “Sometimes we get the data before an attack; other times we do not.”
He added: “For instance, last night we received the warning, but only about a minute before the strike.”
Nevertheless, he noted that other cooperation with the United States persists, explaining: “Intelligence data continues to flow; the problem lies solely with the air‑raid alert component.”
Beskrestnov also said the United States has not clarified who is responsible for the continuing restrictions on Ukraine’s Starlink network and its military counterpart Starshield, which Kyiv relies on for drone, helicopter and military communications.
Last week, Starshield imposed a speed limit of 100 mph (160 km/h) on mobile units wishing to remain connected to the network.
This restriction has hampered Ukraine’s capacity to intercept incoming drones and to conduct mid‑range drone strikes into Russian‑occupied territory.
Elon Musk, owner of Starlink, said last week that the U.S. government ultimately governs access to Starshield—a system built for the Pentagon—implying it could be responsible for the limits. Trump has denied any involvement.
Beskrestnov suggested that the simultaneous occurrence of both problems is likely a deliberate attempt to pressure Ukraine.
He told BBC News: “It’s probably the United States telling us, ‘Let’s talk, negotiate with Russia, and you should seek a compromise.’”
Beskrestnov added that Ukraine possesses its own radar data, which can offer limited early warning of attacks, but the country is urgently exploring alternative communication systems.
He added: “Now we see that something is changing with Starlink, and we are uncertain about what comes next.”
“We recognize the need to prepare for future difficulties, and we are now considering an alternative to Starlink—not just for air defense, but also for communications among our troops, staff, and civilians, since we cannot predict what lies ahead for Starlink.”
Earlier on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been no pause in intelligence sharing.
“I don’t know where President Zelensky is obtaining this information or why he is sharing it with the press,” he told reporters on Monday.
Rubio said he could not comment on the incident, adding: “I am aware that a few nights ago there was a software issue affecting their early‑warning system.”
The BBC has reached out to Starlink for comment.
A White House official said there have been no changes to intelligence‑sharing operations between the United States and Ukraine.
Speaking on background about intelligence matters, the official said Trump is focused on ending the war and noted that the United States has delivered more aid to Ukraine than any other nation.