According to Rubio, no one in the U.S. gave orders to slow down Starlink’s service – “these things happen.” He made this statement while speaking with reporters before departing for Uzbekistan and India.
What else did Rubio say about the problems with Starlink in Ukraine?
As he understands it, Starlink service in Ukraine has been restored and speeds have returned to previous levels.
“However, we’re talking about the Starlink system. They were using Starlink for their drones,” Rubio said.
He also leveled several criticisms at Zelenskyy, emphasizing that the Ukrainian president himself does not understand what he is talking about. At the same time, he insists that the speed restriction was not intentional.
“No one in the White House gave instructions to slow down the internet or reduce speeds to interfere with the drones’ operations,” he noted.
In his view, everything is working again – “at least that’s what was written in the materials he read.”
What about Starshield?
The U.S. Secretary of State noted that Starshield operations have also resumed. But that is an entirely different system, operated under a contract with the U.S. military. Starlink, on the other hand, is a civilian product.
I know that Ukraine wants access to Starshield. They don’t have it right now. They requested access in order to strike deep into Russian territory. At this time, they do not have access,
he asserts.
Rubio added that discussions are currently underway on how Ukraine could utilize this system.
What is known about the Starshield system?
Starshield is a specialized military version of SpaceX’s satellite network, developed specifically for the needs of U.S. defense agencies and intelligence services. Unlike the civilian Starlink, this system uses additional highly reliable cryptographic capabilities for the secure transmission and processing of classified data,
The network is designed not only for data transmission and communications but also for Earth observation (remote sensing) and the deployment of specialized military payloads. The project is being implemented under classified contracts with the Pentagon and the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
Restrictions on Starlink Operations in Ukraine: What Is the Current Situation?
On the night of October 14, Ukraine suddenly began experiencing disruptions in Starlink service while in motion, after which the permissible speed limit for the equipment was lowered to 60–70 kilometers per hour. As a result, the military was unable to carry out a number of special missions. Additionally, Ukrainian interceptor drones have stopped working jet-powered UAVs.
That same evening, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that Starlink had resumed operations. However, speed restrictions remained in place for speeds exceeding 160 kilometers per hour. Then, on the afternoon of the 15th, the ministry reported that The Stashield system has also begun operating.
Earlier, Trump denied that it was specifically his order regarding Starlink’s operation in Ukraine. Similar statements were also made by Elon Musk. However, according to The Telegraph, Musk suggested to Trump that he limit Starlink's speed in Ukraine.
According to Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov, Zelenskyy’s advisor on defense technology, Kyiv is in talks with SpaceX and the Pentagon regarding the lifting of restrictions on Starlink is currently underway.