Rubio says Ukraine's Starlink access is Elon Musk's decision amid reported slowdown
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said decisions over Ukraine's access to Starlink rest with SpaceX and its chief executive, Elon Musk, rather than the White House. His comments came after reports that the military-grade Starshield service used by Ukraine had been slowed or capped, raising fresh questions about how the satellite network is being managed during the war. The issue is significant because the system is used to help Ukraine intercept incoming projectiles and target Russian launchers.
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Rubio made the remarks on Wednesday while travelling in India, saying he was not aware whether the administration knew about the reported decision in advance. He said the matter was "irrelevant" and argued that the service is governed by a private commercial contract covering how the system can be used and at what speeds. The comments followed reporting that Musk had ordered a slowdown of Starshield, a version of Starlink used for defence purposes.
According to the reporting, the slowdown was discussed at the highest levels of the US administration. One account said Musk, President Donald Trump and White House officials discussed the matter beforehand, while other accounts said Musk and the president spoke after the slowdown. The White House has denied involvement, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also been cited as confirming the decision in earlier reporting.
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence later confirmed the resumption of services on 15 October. The reported restriction matters because satellite communications have become a core part of Ukraine's battlefield resilience. A limit of 160 kilometres per hour on Starshield services was said to have affected guidance systems for drones used to intercept Russian drones flying at much higher speeds.
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A Ukrainian adviser said defence forces received no prior warning and that the restriction disrupted a number of missions. That has made the dispute more than a technical issue, because it touches on Ukraine's ability to defend itself in real time. The episode also highlights the unusual role of private technology companies in wartime communications.
Starlink has been central to Ukraine's military and civilian connectivity since Russia's full-scale invasion, and Starshield is the military-grade version used for defence-related tasks. The latest dispute has drawn attention to the balance between commercial control, US policy and the operational needs of a country at war. It also underlines how decisions made outside the battlefield can affect air defence and drone operations.
What remains unclear is who authorised the reported slowdown, when the decision was made, and whether any further limits could be imposed. Rubio said the White House was not to blame, but the conflicting accounts mean the chain of responsibility is still disputed. The next point to watch is whether US officials, SpaceX or Ukrainian authorities provide a fuller explanation of the reported restriction and its reversal.
#Ukraine #Starlink #Starshield #MarcoRubio #ElonMusk
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