United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Ukraine does not currently have access to Starshield, the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service. He said a request from Kyiv to use the system for strikes deep inside Russia is still being discussed.
Speaking to reporters, Rubio stressed the difference between the two products. In comments released by the Department of State, he said Starlink is a commercial product, regulated and handled as one, while Starshield is a defence product built for the military.
Rubio draws a line between Starshield and Starlink
Starshield was launched in 2022 and provided to the US government. It is designed for military use and offers deeper encryption for sensitive information. SpaceX says it is mainly used by US defence agencies and other “government partners”.
Rubio said Kyiv had asked for access so it could conduct deep strikes inside Russia. He added, “They do not have access to it at this moment,” and described the matter as “under conversation.”
Disputed claims over Starlink disruption in Ukraine
Last week, Ukrainian officials said restrictions on Starlink terminals had slowed some drones on the battlefield. Ukraine is trying to hold back Russian forces in a war that is now nearly five years old.
Speaking at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Rubio rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s suggestion that the reported disruption to Starlink services on Wednesday was deliberate. “I’m not sure Zelenskyy knows what he’s talking about, but it wasn’t deliberate,” he said.
Zelenskyy said on Saturday that the satellites do not track antennas on flying objects travelling faster than 161 kilometres per hour (100 miles per hour). He said this affects Ukrainian drones defending against Russian jet-powered drones, as well as Ukraine’s own medium-range attacks.
Rubio said Washington had not ordered Starlink speeds to be reduced, and that the service had reportedly returned to its previous level. He said, “No one at the White House ordered anyone to slow down internet or slow down speed so that certain drones couldn’t use it,” calling the reports “categorically false.”
Criticism of the US waiver on Russia sanctions
The remarks came as US President Donald Trump faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. He had waived sanctions on Russia and on countries that buy its oil and gas, just days before the restrictions were due to take effect under a law he signed last month.
Zelenskyy also criticised the waiver on Saturday, arguing that easing pressure on Russia would encourage further attacks. In a post on social media, he said, “Financial rewards for [President Vladimir] Putin – all of this only encourages him to keep attacking,” and urged the US to maintain pressure on Moscow.
