Rubio Says Starlink Access Is Musk's Decision as Ukraine Says Service Is Still Restricted

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, 21 October, that decisions on Ukraine's access to Starlink were up to SpaceX and Elon Musk, not the White House. Ukraine's president said on 17 October that a speed restriction remained in place and was stopping interceptor drones from working against Russian attack drones.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai during a visit to India, Rubio said he was 'not aware that we knew about this decision beforehand. But that's irrelevant.' 'The bottom line is that that is governed by a private commercial contract as to how their stuff can be used and what speeds they'll allow it to be used at,' he said.

What Rubio Said About Starlink in Ukraine

Reuters described the remarks as an apparent shift. On Saturday, Rubio had said nobody ordered the slowdown and that it 'sort of happened', adding that service had been restored. Zelenskyy says it has not been.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink that Ukraine relies on. One of its sources said Musk, President Donald Trump and White House officials discussed the matter beforehand. Two others said Musk and Trump discussed it in the days afterwards.

Reuters has separately cited two US officials and a Western official as saying the decision came from the White House. The administration denies that. Trump has said: 'It wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon.'

What Ukraine Says About the Speed Restrictions

Zelenskyy said on 17 October that Ukrainian terminals lost connectivity above about 161km/h (100mph) inside Ukraine. Test vehicles carrying terminals kept working at more than 180km/h in EU countries. He called the restrictions a 'planned operation' and said Kyiv had records of the tests.

The limit applies to how fast a terminal is moving, not to internet data speeds. It mainly affects fast aircraft that rely on satellite links, including drones used to intercept Russian jet-powered Shaheds, which can fly at up to 370km/h. Zelenskyy said Ukraine also uses other anti-drone defences. Stationary terminals and most short-range drones that use direct radio links have largely been unaffected.

Kyiv says it received no warning and has had no clear response from SpaceX or US officials. Zelenskyy said it was told the problems were technical, an explanation he rejected.

Starlink and Starshield: Who Controls the Restrictions?

Starlink is SpaceX's commercial satellite internet service. Starshield is SpaceX's military-grade version, developed for the Pentagon, and the US government pays to use it, according to CBS News.

Rubio has said Ukraine never had access to Starshield. Zelenskyy has said both services were disrupted. On 14 October, Musk wrote on X that 'any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.' Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Starlink has the option to make such decisions under its terms of service.

When the Slowdown Began

Ukrainian units reported terminals dropping out overnight on 13–14 October. WSJ reported that Trump and Musk had both voiced frustration at Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, which Trump blames for higher energy prices. Neither the White House nor SpaceX has said the strikes were the reason.

A bipartisan group of senators has asked the Pentagon's inspector general to investigate. No US official has publicly said they pushed SpaceX to reverse any restriction. Whether the cap has been lifted, and by whom, remains disputed.