Zelenskyy said on NBC on Sunday that the Trump administration resumed sharing US intelligence on Russian ballistic missile strikes, a reversal he welcomed as winter approaches and Russia targets Ukraine's power infrastructure.
Two people died and at least 17 suffered injury in the latest strikes on power systems, according to reporting by The Guardian.
Zelenskyy attributed the previous gap in intelligence sharing to deliberate US action. He claimed the Trump administration had "unblocked" the flow of information and maintained that the US had intentionally throttled Starlink satellite internet access to send what Zelenskyy called a "message" in Trump's dispute with the Ukrainian president.
The claim reflects ongoing tension between the two leaders. Trump and Zelenskyy have clashed over military aid, the pace of negotiations with Russia, and public statements. Zelenskyy's assertion that Starlink access was weaponized as part of that feud suggests he views recent infrastructure damage and Russian attacks as stakes that rise when intelligence sharing halts.
The timing matters. Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy grid intensify as colder months arrive, making reliable power generation critical for civilian survival and military operations. The restoration of US ballistic missile intelligence could provide Ukraine with earlier warning of incoming strikes, potentially allowing defensive measures or civilian evacuation.
Zelenskyy's framing acknowledges Trump's leverage while signaling that he views the intelligence resumption as a concession, not a restoration of normal practice. The reference to Starlink throttling introduces a separate grievance: SpaceX, the company that owns and operates Starlink, is led by Elon Musk, a Trump ally who has been outspoken about the conflict and whose company's decisions carry military consequence for Ukraine.
The Guardian reported this development in October 2026, placing it in the context of intensifying winter attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure.