Zelenskyy on his 'emotional' relationship with Trump and fighting Russia

At least 26 people died in the latest reported Russian strike in southern Ukraine. The attack hit an aid station and a shelter, places intended to protect or assist civilians. Its human toll shows how the war continues to affect people away from active front lines. The strike came as the wider conflict remained stalled militarily and diplomatically.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the deaths on Monday. The report identifies the victims as people at the aid station and shelter, but gives no further breakdown. The attack followed an interview recorded earlier with Zelenskyy in Kyiv. He described the strike as the newest episode in Russia’s continuing attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilians.

The reported death toll could change as authorities assess the damage and identify victims. The strike also underscores the danger facing civilian facilities during the war. Alongside battlefield and negotiating stalemates, repeated attacks create immediate humanitarian needs and keep pressure on Ukraine’s government and its international supporters.

Starlink and Starshield are satellite communication systems owned by Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX. They connect users through satellites rather than relying only on local communications networks. In Ukraine’s war effort, that link supports communication when ordinary systems may be disrupted. The interview treats continued access as important to Ukraine’s military operations.

The article does not explain a separate function for Starlink versus Starshield. It says Ukraine depends on the combined satellite communication system and that its speed slowed late last month. Zelenskyy said the service was later back to normal speed. Reports claimed Musk ordered the slowdown, while Musk said President Trump was responsible and Trump denied that.

Zelenskyy said the system was working again, but the episode exposed Ukraine’s dependence on decisions outside its control. He said Elon Musk and SpaceX could technically slow or stop the service. That makes satellite access both a valuable wartime capability and a potential point of vulnerability.

Energy sites are strategically important because they supply electricity and fuel needed by civilians, transport systems, industry, and military operations. Damaging them can weaken a country without capturing territory. The article highlights refineries, oil, gas, and diesel as especially painful targets. It also connects energy attacks with wider concerns about global fuel prices.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine stopped attacking Russian refineries after President Trump asked for that restraint. He made the condition that Russia should stop attacking Ukraine’s energy system. Zelenskyy said Russia continued launching massive attacks, causing huge electricity problems. After four days, Ukraine responded by striking Russian energy sites again.

The exchange shows how energy infrastructure can become part of bargaining over a cease-fire. Each side can use attacks to impose costs or signal retaliation. Unless both sides accept and follow an energy cease-fire, refineries and other facilities remain vulnerable, with consequences extending beyond the immediate battlefield.

When energy infrastructure is attacked, civilians can lose electricity for homes, services, and communications. Fuel supplies may also become less reliable or more expensive. The article describes this pattern through Ukraine’s experience: Russian attacks on its energy system caused huge electricity problems. President Trump also blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy sites for rising global fuel prices.

The mechanism is direct. Damage to power systems reduces electricity availability, while damage to refineries can reduce the production of fuel such as gasoline, oil products, or diesel. Zelenskyy said Ukraine targeted refineries because they were painful for Russia. He also said Russia’s attacks had been massive and very tough on Ukrainian people.

The effects can spread beyond the damaged site. Power shortages immediately burden civilians, while fuel disruptions can affect prices and economic activity more broadly. The interview shows that energy attacks create humanitarian harm and also complicate diplomacy, because each side links restraint to the other side’s behavior.

The article identifies Elon Musk and SpaceX as having the technical ability to slow down or stop Ukraine’s satellite communications. Zelenskyy said the service could then be brought back, as it apparently was. This makes the system’s operators central to Ukraine’s access, even though the interview does not establish who ordered the slowdown.

Reports said Musk ordered the slowdown. Musk said President Trump was responsible, while Trump denied that claim. When asked whether both men were needed, Zelenskyy clarified that Musk could act alone. He also said that, in his view, restoring or blocking the system involved decisions by the parties, but he did not know the full details.

The U.S. government’s specific role is not described in the provided article. The text names President Trump and his envoys in connection with pressure for an energy cease-fire, not as confirmed controllers of the satellite network. Therefore, the confirmed technical power rests with Musk and SpaceX, while political responsibility remains disputed.

If Ukraine lost access to Starlink or Starshield, its forces could use other communication channels. Common alternatives include military radio, cellular networks, fiber-optic cables, microwave links, and messages carried by people. Each option can preserve some connectivity, but none necessarily offers the same combination of reach, speed, and resilience as a satellite network.

Radio can work across difficult terrain, while fiber and cellular systems can carry large amounts of data where infrastructure remains intact. Microwave links can connect fixed locations, and couriers can deliver information when electronic networks fail. These methods also have weaknesses: infrastructure can be damaged, signals can be disrupted, and physical delivery is slower.

The article does not describe Ukraine’s backup communications plans. It does show why alternatives matter: Zelenskyy said Elon Musk and SpaceX could technically slow or stop the satellite service. Losing that link would therefore create a serious communications problem, making redundancy important for command, coordination, and civilian support.

Modern warfare uses networks and infrastructure as weapons because they control information, movement, power, and public confidence. A cyberattack can disrupt services without a physical explosion. A satellite network can support military communication across large areas. An energy attack can reduce electricity and fuel, affecting civilians as well as armed forces.

The article gives examples of each mechanism. Zelenskyy said Russia attacked Ukraine’s alert system, sending false chemical and nuclear warnings. He said Russia had also targeted banking, pensions, and social support systems. Separately, the satellite service slowed and later returned to normal speed. Energy attacks caused huge electricity problems, while refinery strikes were described as painful.

These systems matter because disruption spreads. False alerts can create chaos, communications failures can hinder coordination, and energy shortages can harm daily life and influence fuel prices. The article presents cyber, satellite, and energy attacks as connected parts of pressure and retaliation, even while the battlefield and negotiations remain stalled.