Rubio says Ukraine lacks Starshield access as Starlink dispute with Kyiv grows

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Ukraine does not currently have access to Starshield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite network, and that Kyiv's request for it remains under discussion, according to Al Jazeera and Newsweek.

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Rubio drew a line between the two systems, describing Starlink as a commercial service and Starshield as a defense product, Al Jazeera reported. Newsweek reported that Rubio said Ukraine wants Starshield to carry out strikes deep inside Russia.

Dispute over a slowdown

Ukrainian officials told CBS News that problems began late Tuesday, including speed limits that made it harder to guide fast-moving drones. Rubio rejected the idea that the disruption was deliberate and called reports that the White House ordered slower speeds "categorically false," Al Jazeera reported. He said his understanding was that service had been restored.

President Trump said Friday that he had not limited Ukraine's access, according to CBS News. SpaceX chief Elon Musk wrote Wednesday that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the U.S. government, which decides any limits, CBS and Newsweek reported.

Kyiv's account

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that Ukraine still cannot use either system to shoot down jet-powered Shahed drones, CBS News reported. He said the service cuts out at about 161 km/h (100 mph) in Ukraine, and that no one from SpaceX was answering Ukraine's defense ministry.

Newsweek reported that Zelenskyy said Ukraine had evidence the restrictions were a planned operation. Newsweek said the White House had not responded to its request for comment.