- The United States has taken an intelligence break with Ukraine and reduced its access to satellite imagery this week.
- A Ukrainian legislator told Bi that it would leave Kyiv dangerously vulnerable to Russian air attacks.
- The movements follow the Trump administration’s decision to suspend military aid in Ukraine.
Kyiv, Ukraine – President Donald Trump’s decision to break the critical aid this week harms the ability of Ukraine to see the battlefield clearly, leaving it in the dark on the movements of Russian troops larger and vulnerable to bombing.
The American break on information sharing and restrictions on Ukraine’s access to crucial satellite imaging should have an impact seriously on the country’s ability to defend itself against Russian missile attacks, a Ukrainian legislator Friday, told Business Insider in Kyiv.
Serhiy Rakhmanin, a member of the Ukraine parliamentary committee on national security, defense and intelligence, said that this decision will also have an impact on kyiv’s ability to monitor Russian troops and rear equipment.
Being able to see changes in battle lines and accumulations is crucial to set up an appropriate defense. Intel and satellite images also allow deep offensive strikes.
US officials confirmed earlier in the week that Washington had stopped sharing information with Kyiv. This decision followed Trump’s decision to suspend the flow of military aid to the country torn apart by war after a deeply controversial oval office meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russian bombings in Ukrainian cities have caused significant destruction. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhiy Lysak via AP
Friday, the Trump administration suspended access to satellite imagery by Ukrainian accounts. Maxar, a leading American satellite imaging company that provides kyiv, said that it had been assigned by the move.
Weapons receive the most attention, but Intel is vital. “Intelligence is one of the most important things that Ukraine has received from the United States,” said Rakhmanin, who spoke to BI through a translator. He added that “the most sensitive problem” for Kyiv is the ban on using satellite data.
“This creates problems, in particular to obtain information on missile attacks. This considerably weakens the capacities of the air defense system,” said Rakhmanin. “The United States has provided information obtained from satellites, including Maxar data.”
Maxar is subcontracted with the Global Delivery System Georth (Geord), a major portal that can share access to commercial satellite imagery bought by the United States with allies and partners. The company said that the US government had temporarily suspended Ukrainian accounts in Gegd.
The national geospatial intelligence agency, which is part of the Ministry of Defense, confirmed this decision and said that it had acted “in accordance” the Trump administration orders.
Satellite imagery, in particular commercial satellite companies, was beneficial for Ukraine, offering an overview of the combat space. Satellite image (C) 2023 Maxar Technologies.
Access to satellite imaging is important for Ukraine, as it allows the country to plan strikes, follow Russian military activities and assess damage to infrastructure. It also gives the world unprecedented visual access to the three -year conflict.
The complete extent of the American break in intelligence and military aid is not clear, but Ukrainian legislators and officials like Rakhmanin hope that the kyiv’s booming defense industry and European countries could help fill some of the gaps in both spaces.
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told Bi earlier this week that helping the United States could affect the air defenses in his country as much. Insufficient interceptor missiles, associated with a limit of kyiv’s capacity to correctly collect information on air attacks, could be a serious problem in the defense of the cities of Russia.
“The restriction of information is particularly problematic to counter the missile attacks, monitor the black and azov seas and follow the movements of the troops and the equipment deep in Russian
Territory, “said Rakhmanin.
The Trump administration’s approach to Ukraine war has so far been radically different from that of the Biden administration, which has promised more than $ 65 billion in security aid after Russia launched its large -scale invasion in February 2022.
As part of the previous administration, the United States has provided a range of weapons and helping Ukraine, but this dried up under the new Trump administration. AP photo / Efrem Lukatsky
Trump officials expressed skepticism about the continuous support of the United States to Ukraine, the president quickly pushing the war, even if it is a bad deal for kyiv.
At the end of February, tensions boiled after Trump and Vice-President JD Vance reprimanded Zelenskyy to the White House for Peace talks with Russia in unfavorable terms. The United States has then suddenly moved to put pressure on Kyiv by stopping military aid and intelligence sharing.
Conflict experts from the Institute for the Study of War, a reflection group based in the United States, warned on Friday that Moscow will likely take advantage of Trump’s decision and will intensify his strike campaign against kyiv. Officials said on Saturday that Russian attacks killed at least 20 people overnight.
“For front line and close line operations, we can always manage without American support,” said Rakhmanin, “but for more strategic efforts, their role remains crucial.”
businessinsider
