On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) CEO Elon Musk, not the White House, controls Ukraine’s access to Starlink.
Rubio Says SpaceX Controls Starlink Access
Speaking to reporters during a visit to India, Rubio said he was unaware of the decision beforehand but argued that the company’s authority over its services made that immaterial, Reuters reported.
“I’m not aware that we knew about this decision beforehand. But that’s irrelevant,” Rubio said, adding that usage was governed by private commercial contracts and the speeds SpaceX permitted.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Musk ordered a slowdown of Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade satellite communications system that Ukraine relies on to defend against Russian attacks.
The report said Musk, President Donald Trump and White House officials discussed the matter, though accounts differ on when those conversations occurred and who made the final decision.
Trump denied involvement when asked about the reported slowdown Wednesday. “I don’t know who did it, but I was not involved,” he said.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
Conflicting Accounts Over Ukraine Starlink Restrictions
Reuters previously reported, citing two U.S. officials and a Western official briefed on the matter, that the order to limit Starshield access came from inside the White House.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also attributed the disruption to the administration, which has denied responsibility.
Rubio had previously said nobody ordered the slowdown, describing it as an incident that happened without deliberate intervention.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth similarly characterized the issue as commercial, saying Starlink could make decisions under its terms of service.
Starlink Disruption Raises Security Concerns
A Senate Democratic aide said the disruption, which coincided with a bipartisan congressional delegation’s visit to Kyiv from Oct. 13-16, endangered U.S. lawmakers, staff and approximately 230 U.S. personnel on the ground, the report noted.
The aide said communications problems complicated defensive operations as Russia deployed faster, jet-powered Shahed drones.
The dispute also highlights uncertainty over whether Ukraine’s disruptions affected Starlink, Starshield or both. Rubio suggested Ukraine did not have Starshield access, while Zelenskyy said both services were affected.
Schiff Demands Musk Testimony
Meanwhile, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called for a full Senate investigation into reported Starlink restrictions in Ukraine. He said the conflicting accounts have “life or death consequences” and demanded Musk testify under oath.
Musk has vowed to uncover who is orchestrating attacks against him following reports that Democrats could investigate him if they regain control of Congress.
Price Action: SpaceX closed at $159.31 on Wednesday, up 7.79%. In after-hours trading, the stock fell 1.64% to $156.70, according to Benzinga Pro.
According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, SpaceX shows positive short-, medium- and long-term price trends.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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