Rubio: Ukraine Lacks Starshield Access — SkimNews
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- Rubio confirmed Ukraine has no access to Starshield, SpaceX's military-grade satellite network with deeper encryption, and said Kyiv's request to use it for deep strikes inside Russia is 'under discussion.'
- Rubio drew a sharp line between Starshield (a defense product) and Starlink (a commercial product), noting Starshield is used by US defense agencies and other 'government partners.'
- Rubio rejected Zelenskyy's claim that Wednesday's Starlink disruption was deliberate, denied any White House order to slow speeds, and said service had reportedly been restored to previous levels, calling such reports 'categorically false.'
- Zelenskyy said satellites aren't tracking antennas on objects moving faster than 100 mph (161 km/h), affecting Ukrainian drones defending against Russian jet-powered drones and in their own medium-range attacks.
- Ukrainian officials said last week that Starlink terminal restrictions had already slowed some battlefield drones as Ukraine tries to hold back Russian forces in the nearly five-year war.
- The remarks came as Trump drew bipartisan criticism for waiving sanctions on Russia and countries buying its oil and gas days before restrictions were set to take effect; Zelenskyy called easing pressure on Moscow encouragement for further attacks.
Why it matters: Ukraine's deep-strike capability inside Russia now hinges on US approval of Starshield access, which Rubio left as 'under discussion.' Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials had already reported Starlink terminal restrictions were slowing battlefield drones—a problem Rubio denied was deliberate but could not fully dismiss given Zelenskyy's specific technical complaints.
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