Ukraine still has no access to the Starshield military satellite system, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. He denied the White House ordered a restriction on Starlink satellite communications after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Washington of deliberately reducing the system's capabilities.
“Nobody in the White House ordered a slowdown in the internet or in the speed“, Rubio told reporters. He said the problem was not intentional, and the service has now been restored to its previous level.
The differences between Starlink and Starshield
Rubio stressed that they are two different products. Starlink is SpaceX's commercial satellite internet service, while Starshield is a military system used by the US military.
“Ukraine wants access to Starshield. It doesn't have access right now,“ Rubio said. He added that Kiev had requested the system to conduct deep strikes on targets in Russia, and the possibility of such access is currently under discussion.
His statement contrasts with the description of Ukrainian officials who have spoken of restrictions specifically on a military communications service used by Ukrainian forces. Zelensky's defense technology adviser, Serhiy Beskrestnov, said that Kiev is in talks with SpaceX and the Pentagon to lift the restriction.
Speed limit above 100 mph
According to Ukrainian authorities, the restriction was introduced without warning and cuts off the connection when a terminal moves above 100 mph. This affects drones that need to develop high speeds to chase Russian jet drones.
Beskrestnov told the Associated Press that after Kiev's reaction, some of the communication interruptions were removed, but the speed restriction remained. He said Ukrainian forces are discussing whether to switch to another Starshield package designed for aircraft or to negotiate the removal of the restriction.
Zelensky said that access has not been fully restored. "It was a very dangerous and unpleasant surprise," the Ukrainian president said, noting that the restrictions affect systems to counter Russian drones.
Washington denies interference
US President Donald Trump also said that he did not order the restriction of the service and did not believe that Elon Musk did it. He said the system works the same way as before.
Starlink is a key tool for Ukrainian forces to communicate and control drones. Amid the dispute, Kiev is also exploring alternatives, including satellite networks being built by Amazon and the European company OneWeb. No deadline has been announced for a decision on Ukraine's request for access to Starshield.
Sources: apnews.com, m.aa.com.tr