According to the website of the US State Department, US Secretary of State Blinken denied on October 17 local time that the White House had ordered restrictions on Ukraine's use of Starlink services. He also stated that Ukraine does not have the right to use the military version of Starlink, Starshield.
According to a transcript published on the website of the U.S. State Department, during an interview with reporters at the Andrews Air Force Base on the 17th, Rubio was asked about the limited satellite communication services used by the Ukrainian military.
Rubio first emphasized that it is necessary to distinguish between the two different systems: “Star Link” and “Star Shield”. He explained that “Star Link” is a commercial product, while “Star Shield” is a military product intended for the defense sector, currently used by the U.S. military.
"Currently Ukraine is unable to use (Star Shield) system, but this issue is being discussed. They are discussing how to utilize this service." Rubio said.
The reporter asked if the speed limits on related services in Ukraine were related to the United States. Rubio replied, "We have nothing to do with this. I—the Americans—no one ordered a reduction in the operating speed of ‘Starlink’. This situation did occur. But as far as I know, it has now been restored to its previous level."
Rubio emphasized that he was referring to the 'Starlink' system, and corrected the journalist once again, saying that 'Star Shield' is a completely different product.
“‘Star Shield’ is a contract with the US military, and it has nothing to do with Ukraine. I know that Ukraine wants to use ‘Star Shield’, but they don’t have it yet. They request to use ‘Star Shield’ for deep strikes against targets in Russia, but they haven’t yet obtained the right to use it,” said Rubio.
"Star Shield" is a satellite communication system developed by SpaceX, Musk's space exploration technology company. It is considered the military version of "Starlink".
Ukraine previously accused the Ukrainian military of having their satellite communication services being artificially restricted.
Musk stated on social media on the 14th that the "Star Shield" system used in Ukraine is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, and any restrictions on its use or purpose are determined by the U.S. military or the president.
On October 15, Reuters quoted several sources as saying that the order to restrict Ukraine’s use of the ‘Star Shield’ system came from within the White House. However, a senior U.S. official stated, “President Trump never made such a request.”
According to a report by The Associated Press on the 16th, Ukraine uses the 'Star Shield' system to control the interception of drones. The report states that Vitali Zalessov, the Ukrainian President's military technology advisor, explained in an interview that 'Star Shield' is a military service provided by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. government to partner countries. Compared to civilian satellite communication services, 'Star Shield' operates under different pricing agreements and usage terms, and provides more stable and prioritized communication connections.
