October 19, 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday renewed Kiev’s denial of Washington’s accusations of deliberately slowing down the Starlink satellite internet service, which Ukrainian forces rely on to operate drones. In press statements he made before heading to Uzbekistan, Rubio confirmed that the White House had not issued any directives aimed at limiting or restricting the military use of the service.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs did not provide specific explanations for the technical malfunctions witnessed by the network, but he acknowledged their occurrence, declaring that “as far as I know, service has been restored.” Although he acknowledged Ukraine’s use of Starlink to conduct drones, Rubio stressed that there was no connection between these technical problems and American political or military decisions.
On the other hand, Rubio denied the validity of the reports that Ukraine had obtained permission to use the “Starshield” military internet system, explaining that this system is subject to an exclusive contract with the US Army, and Kiev has no connection to it.
These developments come at a time when discussions continue about the extent to which Ukrainian military operations depend on satellite communications, amid ongoing questions about the boundaries separating “Starlink” field services and the “Starshield” system, which is exclusively linked to the American military establishment.
