U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the White House had not ordered restrictions on satellite communications used by Ukrainian forces. His statement followed a Reuters report that limitations affecting the military Starshield system had been introduced at the direction of the Trump administration.
Speaking to reporters on October 17, Rubio rejected claims that the White House was responsible for the restrictions.
He also emphasized the distinction between Starlink, SpaceX's commercial satellite internet service, and Starshield, a satellite communications system developed for government and military customers.
According to Rubio, Ukraine had requested access to Starshield capabilities to conduct strikes deep inside Russian territory. He maintained that Kyiv did not have that access at the time of his statement and that the question of granting it was under discussion.
Reuters had previously reported, citing American and Western officials, that an order to restrict Starshield's operation for Ukrainian forces had originated in the White House.
According to the news agency, the restrictions affected the use of satellite communications to control Ukrainian drones.
Ukrainian military personnel and government representatives reported that technical limitations were complicating drone operations, including efforts to counter Russian aerial attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said problems occurred when satellite communications were used on aircraft traveling faster than approximately 161 kilometers per hour.
Rubio denied that the White House had deliberately imposed speed restrictions on Ukrainian drones. He also said that, according to the information available to him, the service had returned to its previous operating parameters.
His remarks, however, do not disprove the existence of the technical problems reported by Ukrainian forces.
Rubio's statements therefore conflict with Reuters' reporting about the origins of the restrictions. Responsibility for the decisions affecting satellite communications remains disputed.