US Secretary of State: No One Ordered Slowdown of Satellite Communications for Ukrainian Forces

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that Ukraine does not have access to Starshield, a U.S. military satellite communication system, and that the White House was not involved in the recent disruptions experienced by Ukrainian forces using Starlink.

Speaking to reporters on the 17th local time at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., prior to his departure for Uzbekistan, Rubio responded to questions regarding the slowdown of Starlink services for the Ukrainian military.

Starshield is a military satellite communication system based on Starlink, the commercial satellite internet service operated by SpaceX.

Rubio stated, "Starshield is a U.S. military product and is completely different [from Starlink]," adding, "It has nothing to do with Ukraine."

He added, "My understanding is that Ukraine has requested access to Starshield to strike deep into Russian territory," noting that "at this point, Ukraine does not have access, and discussions are ongoing."

He explained that the satellite service used by the Ukrainian military for drones was Starlink, the commercial service, rather than the U.S. military's Starshield.

Regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's claim that the restrictions on satellite service use were intentional, Rubio remarked, "I don't know what he said, but it was not intentional," and maintained, "No one ordered anyone to slow it down."

Addressing allegations that a White House official ordered the slowdown, he stated, "No one at the White House gave such an order," and added, "As of two days ago on the 15th, I heard that [Starlink] is operating normally again."

Previously, Reuters reported on the 16th, citing U.S. and Western officials briefed on the matter, that an order to restrict the satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations had originated from within the White House.

In connection with this, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated via social media on the 14th that "any restrictions on the speed or use of the Starshield system are determined by the U.S. military authorities and ultimately the U.S. President," thereby shifting responsibility to the U.S. government.

The Ukrainian military has received satellite communication services backed by the U.S. government, utilizing them to attack key Russian facilities and shoot down incoming Russian attack drones.

However, the military recently reported that disruptions have occurred, with terminals used by Ukrainian forces losing access or experiencing significantly slower connection speeds on the system.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.