US Senators Demand Inquiry Into Starlink Limits in Ukraine
A bipartisan group of US senators has demanded an urgent investigation into reported disruptions to SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine.
The letter was sent on Thursday to the inspector general of the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon's independent watchdog. It was led by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Republican Thom Tillis.
The senators said they had grave concern about reports of Starlink speed restrictions between 12 and 14 October. They asked the inspector general to determine whether the restrictions were caused by the defence department or its contractors, according to the BBC.
Ukraine said the network unexpectedly limited on Tuesday night how fast drones could fly while staying connected. The limit was set at 100mph (160km/h), meaning weapons travelling faster lost connectivity. Ukrainian officials said access had since improved but speed limits were still disrupting battlefield missions, the BBC reported.
The letter said the restrictions reportedly degraded Ukraine's ability to conduct defensive operations against Russian drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure. Ukraine has said the limits hindered strike missions and interceptor drones, which are unmanned aircraft used to block incoming attacks.
The senators also said they were deeply concerned by reports of disruptions affecting intelligence-sharing and threat-warning capabilities used by personnel operating in Ukraine. They said they were particularly alarmed by incidents in which US diplomatic, military and security personnel were unable to reach designated bunkers during Russian air raids.
Other signatories include Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and John Cornyn, and Democrats Richard Durbin, Jack Reed, Richard Blumenthal and Christopher Coons.
Elon Musk wrote on X on Wednesday that Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government and that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately the US president. Starshield is the government-controlled version of the satellite service. Reuters, citing sources, reported that the order to limit Starshield service for Ukraine came from inside the White House. That account described the White House-ordered limits as temporary, according to CNBC.
The senators requested that investigators preserve communications and contractual records involving the Pentagon, SpaceX and other agencies as part of the inquiry into whether Pentagon officials restricted Ukraine's access.
