Ukraine requested Starshield for strikes deep into Russia — Rubio's response did not match previous reports
Ukraine has requested access to the military satellite system Starshield from the US for long-range strikes on Russian territory. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the request is being discussed but said Kyiv does not yet have access to the technology. His comments raised questions because Ukrainian military previously reported using Starshield and restoring system operations after recent restrictions.
Rubio made the remarks on October 17 while speaking with journalists at Andrews Air Force Base before departing for Uzbekistan. The State Department published a transcript of the conversation.
What access to Starshield Ukraine requested
According to Rubio, Kyiv is interested in using specialized military satellite communications for operations beyond Ukrainian territory.
"I know Ukraine wants access to Starshield. They have requested it for long-range strikes deep into Russia. At this time they do not have such access," the Secretary of State said.
Rubio emphasized the need to distinguish between the company's two products: the commercial Starlink network and Starshield, which is intended for government and military customers.
According to him, Starshield is used by US armed forces under military contracts, and the question of providing it to Ukraine remains a subject of negotiation.
However, the head of the State Department did not specify whether expansion of already available services or a separate military package with new capabilities is being considered.
Why Rubio's statement contradicts earlier reports
The Secretary of State's claim that Ukraine has no Starshield at all conflicts with information previously provided by Ukrainian military and Western media.
On October 16, Associated Press published an interview with the Ukrainian president's adviser on defense technologies, Serhii Beskrestnov, known by the call sign "Flash."
He said Ukrainian units use the Starshield military package to control drones, including interceptor drones defending the country from Russian air attacks.
On the night of October 14, restrictions unexpectedly appeared in the operation of these terminals: connection was cut off when moving faster than 160 km/h. This complicated execution of certain combat tasks.
By October 15, sources in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed the restoration of the system's operation, although the question of completely lifting speed restrictions remained open.
Beskrestnov separately emphasized that the Starshield communications used by Ukrainian units do not work on the territory of Russia and are not used to control drones attacking Russian oil refineries.
Thus, the existing use of satellite communications inside Ukraine and the requested access for long-range strikes on Russia may refer to different terms of service provision.
However, this does not fully explain Rubio's statement about Ukraine lacking Starshield. The US side has not yet provided official clarification on differences between the relevant military packages.
Rubio also denied White House involvement in restrictions
Journalists asked the Secretary of State about recent satellite communication disruptions, which Volodymyr Zelensky called deliberate.
Rubio categorically denied any involvement by the US administration. According to him, no one in the White House gave orders to slow down Starlink connections to limit the use of certain drones.
The Secretary of State also said that, according to his information, communication services have already been restored.
These claims contradict reports from Reuters, according to which an order to limit Starshield capabilities for the Ukrainian military came from the White House. The agency cited American and Western officials familiar with the situation.
President Donald Trump also denied personally issuing such an order. Who exactly initiated the restrictions and whether they were related to Washington's political decisions has not been reliably established.
Decision on long-range strikes remains with Washington
Rubio's statement is the first direct confirmation that Ukraine officially requested additional Starshield capabilities for operations deep into Russian territory.
But there is no confirmation of such access being granted. The conditions under which the US might allow the system's use for such operations are also unknown.
For Kyiv, the significance of these talks goes beyond long-range strikes: recent events have shown the dependency of Ukrainian unmanned systems on satellite communications and on decisions by its American providers.
For now, two unresolved questions remain: will Ukraine get expanded access to Starshield, and why statements by American leadership about Ukraine lacking the system do not match reports of its actual use by Ukrainian units.
Based on materials: US State Department — transcript of Marco Rubio's statement, Associated Press, Ukrainska Pravda, Axios