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Aidan Stretch
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Aidan Stretch✓

@aidan_stretch

@CBSNews International Reporter |📍Kyiv, Ukraine | All views my own

  • Ukraine
  • Joined
580 Following3.9K Followers426 Posts
  1. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    On Oct. 19, a Russian strike on a Kharkiv park killed five people, including a 1-year-old girl. @CBSNews obtained photos showing air-defense radars offline that day due to SpaceX’s Starlink restrictions. Alina Spichak walked me through the last steps of her sister Yulia, who died there.
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  2. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Kyiv is under another Russian ballistic attack right now. Five impacts in quick succession starting around 9:45pm local time.
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  3. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    This week, Russia has hit nine “Epicentr” stores across Ukraine. These are Ukraine’s version of “Home Depot,” where people buy household appliances - including generators to power their homes through the winter as Russian strikes knock out electricity across the country. This live was from a store hit Thursday. Four more were hit in the last 24 hours alone.
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  4. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    And as of now, the Starlink slowdown hasn’t been resolved. Ukrainian soldiers and officials say the 161 km/h limits on the SpaceX Starshields that enable Ukraine’s midrange drone strikes have yet to be lifted.
    The Wall Street Journal @WSJ
    Breaking: Elon Musk ordered the Starlink slowdown that blindsided Ukraine
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  5. The Wall Street Journal✓@WSJ
    Breaking: Elon Musk ordered the Starlink slowdown that blindsided Ukraine
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  6. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Aidan Stretch
    RT @michaeldweiss: It’s also the wrong question. It’s not an intelligence gap; it’s Starlink being throttled.
    Sky News @SkyNews
    "That's outrageous. That's just simply not true." US secretary of state Marco Rubio has told reporters that claims that people were dying in Ukraine because the United States was denying Kyiv intelligence were "scandalous". Latest updates:
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  7. Sky News✓@SkyNews
    "That's outrageous. That's just simply not true." US secretary of state Marco Rubio has told reporters that claims that people were dying in Ukraine because the United States was denying Kyiv intelligence were "scandalous". Latest updates:
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  9. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    A fascinating story.
    Matthew Luxmoore @mjluxmoore
    "The Defector" - a 5,500-word espionage tale in today's WSJ that I can guarantee is worth your time. I spent months speaking to one of the deadliest saboteurs in recent military history, a Russian officer who helped Kyiv kill hundreds of his fellow troops
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  10. Matthew Luxmoore@mjluxmoore
    "The Defector" - a 5,500-word espionage tale in today's WSJ that I can guarantee is worth your time. I spent months speaking to one of the deadliest saboteurs in recent military history, a Russian officer who helped Kyiv kill hundreds of his fellow troops
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  11. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Aidan Stretch
    RT @McFaul: Thank you, @Shelby_Wilder, for your reporting from Ukraine.
    Shelby @Shelby_Wilder
    I don’t usually join panels, but given the news and my presence on the ground, I was asked to weigh in. Here’s my response to a panelist who appeared to be defending Vladimir Putin amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine: “Do you want to save Ukrainian civilian lives, or would you rather hinder and kneecap what’s supposed to be your ally in its fight for survival against Russia? That’s simply what it comes down to now.”
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  12. Shelby@Shelby_Wilder
    I don’t usually join panels, but given the news and my presence on the ground, I was asked to weigh in. Here’s my response to a panelist who appeared to be defending Vladimir Putin amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine: “Do you want to save Ukrainian civilian lives, or would you rather hinder and kneecap what’s supposed to be your ally in its fight for survival against Russia? That’s simply what it comes down to now.”
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  13. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Aidan Stretch
    RT @JimmySecUK: My latest: Nobody wants to admit to crippling Ukraine's communications... and that's telling. "The fact that nobody in Washington wants to own up to helping Russia kill Ukrainians shows how politically toxic this decision was," Michael Weiss told us.
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  14. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    As some have pointed out there’s an error in this explanation below: Starlink/Starshield do not work *inside* Russia (only in occupied territories). Ukraine has been requesting to expand that access to strike ballistic missile launch sites in Russia for months.
    Aidan Stretch @aidan_stretch
    Here is what you need to know about the US restricting Ukraine’s access to Starlink this week: On Wednesday, Ukrainian soldiers said they noticed “speed limits” imposed on their Starshields. These are military-grade starlink internet dishes, made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX that Ukrainians strap onto their drones, so that pilots can maintain connection with them as they fly towards targets inside Russia. Access was restricted yesterday by essentially turning off dishes on Ukrainian drones moving above a certain speed. Ukrainian officials told CBS News that SpaceX made the decision unilaterally without informing them beforehand. Musk, in recent days, has shifted his tone on Ukraine, saying that “it is time for [President] Zelensky to go.” But he denied responsibility for these restrictions, saying the US government controls the access to starshield. The White House had threatened to withhold certain weapons and intelligence from Ukraine if Kyiv did not stop attacks on Russian energy targets which Trump blames for higher gas prices… but on Tuesday, Trump told Fox News that intelligence sharing remains in place… This morning, Ukrainian officials said that the Starshield restrictions had been lifted. This is essential for Ukraine’s defense - Starshield is used not only on attack drones but to connect every sensor and weapon system on the battlefield. It would be like if an office had to function without ever being able to connect to WIFI. To appreciate the impact of Starlink in this war - Russia was also using Starlink up until February of this year when SpaceX cut off their access. After that decision, Ukraine gained more than 150 square miles of territory.
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  15. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Here is what you need to know about the US restricting Ukraine’s access to Starlink this week: On Wednesday, Ukrainian soldiers said they noticed “speed limits” imposed on their Starshields. These are military-grade starlink internet dishes, made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX that Ukrainians strap onto their drones, so that pilots can maintain connection with them as they fly towards targets inside Russia. Access was restricted yesterday by essentially turning off dishes on Ukrainian drones moving above a certain speed. Ukrainian officials told CBS News that SpaceX made the decision unilaterally without informing them beforehand. Musk, in recent days, has shifted his tone on Ukraine, saying that “it is time for [President] Zelensky to go.” But he denied responsibility for these restrictions, saying the US government controls the access to starshield. The White House had threatened to withhold certain weapons and intelligence from Ukraine if Kyiv did not stop attacks on Russian energy targets which Trump blames for higher gas prices… but on Tuesday, Trump told Fox News that intelligence sharing remains in place… This morning, Ukrainian officials said that the Starshield restrictions had been lifted. This is essential for Ukraine’s defense - Starshield is used not only on attack drones but to connect every sensor and weapon system on the battlefield. It would be like if an office had to function without ever being able to connect to WIFI. To appreciate the impact of Starlink in this war - Russia was also using Starlink up until February of this year when SpaceX cut off their access. After that decision, Ukraine gained more than 150 square miles of territory.
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  16. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Posts @aidan_stretch
    Also worth noting that restricting Starshield/Starlink for Ukraine does not mean that the US "paused intelligence sharing" with Ukraine. In fact, Ukrainian officials have confirmed that American intelligence has continued to be shared throughout this debacle.
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  17. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    New: Ukrainian officials confirm that SpaceX restrictions on Starlink connectivity of speeds up to 160 km/h have been lifted. But, as of now, speeds above 160km/h are still restricted. This means that Ukraine is still unable to carry out some mid-long range drone strikes.
    Mykhailo Fedorov @FedorovMykhailo
    Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored. Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense. Thank you, @elonmusk. We hope for your continued support.
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  18. Mykhailo Fedorov✓@FedorovMykhailo
    Starlink connectivity at speeds of up to 160 km/h is being restored. Removing Starshield’s speed limit entirely is now critical for Ukraine’s defense. Thank you, @elonmusk. We hope for your continued support.
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  19. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Aidan Stretch
    RT @AaronBMacLean: Starlink important for air defense in Ukraine, as well.
    Preston Stewart @prestonstew_
    "Everyone is writing about how the "Starlink" restrictions have impacted long-range missions and frontline logistics, but there's another major problem for us. "Starlink" is being used in the most effective current solution (interceptors) for protecting our airspace from jet-powered "Shahed" drones. In fact, with their actions, our partners are depriving us of one of the few chances we have to defend the country from these jet-powered "Shaheds."" -Ukrainian military advisor 'Flash'
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  20. Preston Stewart✓@prestonstew_
    "Everyone is writing about how the "Starlink" restrictions have impacted long-range missions and frontline logistics, but there's another major problem for us. "Starlink" is being used in the most effective current solution (interceptors) for protecting our airspace from jet-powered "Shahed" drones. In fact, with their actions, our partners are depriving us of one of the few chances we have to defend the country from these jet-powered "Shaheds."" -Ukrainian military advisor 'Flash'
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  21. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Aidan Stretch
    RT @ChristopherJM: While Musk owns SpaceX which controls Starlink systems and can impose restrictions on them in Ukraine, those that began overnight are on the Starshield military version of the system controlled by the Pentagon. This suggests the decision to limit the speed of the Starshield systems was made within the Trump administration.
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  22. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    NEW: US officials blamed “bad weather” for not warning Ukraine of Russian missile launches overnight which killed 6 and left more than 600,000 without power, sources tell @CBSNews. Ukrainian officials don’t buy the excuse, believing intelligence was withheld on purpose.
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  23. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Posts @aidan_stretch
    @CBSNews Sources in Ukraine's Ministry of Defense also confirm reporting in the @KyivIndependent and @FT that SpaceX restricted certain access to Starlink which Ukraine uses for communications and strikes into Russia overnight - without notifying Ukraine's military.
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  24. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Posts @aidan_stretch
    @CBSNews @KyivIndependent @FT Ukrainian officials say that the U.S. has not broadly cut off intelligence sharing with Ukraine but point to the ballistic missile early warning failures and restrictions on Starlink as examples of the US withholding certain capabilities.
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  25. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    Aidan Stretch
    RT @nfergus: This is absolutely the right approach by Winchester College. At school and university, access to all devices needs to be rationed if young people are to learn to read, think, calculate and write. Traditional cognitive skills are more not less important in the age of AI.
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  26. Aidan Stretch✓@aidan_stretch
    During the largest demonstrations since protests against French school conditions began nearly weeks ago, some students told me they believe the violent clashes with police are necessary to attract attention to their cause. Many of their peers disagreed.
    CBS News @CBSNews
    Protests by thousands of students, parents and teachers against poor school conditions in France continued on Tuesday, with many telling CBS News' @aidan_stretch that violence has become a necessary tool to bring attention to their cause. Protesters have clashed with law enforcement, causing damage and setting school buildings ablaze. Video footage has shown officers using various tactics to disperse them, including tear gas and stun grenades.
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  27. CBS News✓@CBSNews
    Protests by thousands of students, parents and teachers against poor school conditions in France continued on Tuesday, with many telling CBS News' @aidan_stretch that violence has become a necessary tool to bring attention to their cause. Protesters have clashed with law enforcement, causing damage and setting school buildings ablaze. Video footage has shown officers using various tactics to disperse them, including tear gas and stun grenades.
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