Zelensky adviser says gaps in US air warnings have cost Ukrainian lives

Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has told the BBC that Ukrainians have died because Kyiv is not receiving reliable United States warnings of incoming Russian attacks. BBC

Beskrestnov said American intelligence on air attacks continued to be incomplete and inconsistent. He said Ukraine received a US warning only one minute before a ballistic missile attack the previous night, and that lives were lost because there was not time to warn citizens about ballistic missile strikes.

He said other US-Ukraine intelligence collaboration continues and the issue is solely with the air raid alert component. Air raid alerts are public warnings issued to tell civilians to take shelter from incoming missiles or drones.

Zelensky wrote on social media on the morning of Oct. 19 that overnight two ballistic missile attacks were reported on Kyiv, one without warning and the second with only minimal time to take shelter. Zelensky said in an NBC interview that US-Ukraine intelligence sharing had been restored after a three-day "pause."

Washington has denied a change in the arrangement. The White House said there had been no changes to intelligence sharing with Ukraine. President Donald Trump said on Oct. 13 that the United States continues to share intelligence with Ukraine. Reuters

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Oct. 19, while in Samarkand, that there had not been a "pause" to intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Reuters

Beskrestnov told the BBC that restrictions to Ukraine's use of the Starlink internet network were ongoing. Last week, Starshield restricted the speed at which Ukrainian mobile units could move while staying connected to 100mph (160km/h). Elon Musk said last week that the US government ultimately controls access to Starshield.