Nine senators asked who authorized Ukraine service restrictions
The Pentagon’s inspector general has declined to investigate recent disruptions to Starlink and Starshield satellite internet service for Ukraine, saying the Air Force could best address lawmakers’ concerns. Nine bipartisan senators — four Republicans and five Democrats — sought the review after Ukrainian officials reported this month that connection speeds were being throttled.
The response, dated Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press, told the senators their concerns were better answered by the Air Force. Ukrainian officials said the restrictions affected services critical to Ukraine’s wartime connectivity and impeded the ability to intercept fast-moving Russian attack drones.
The lawmakers’ request asked whether any Pentagon or other U.S. government officials directed, authorized, approved or had advance knowledge of changes to intelligence-sharing arrangements, warning capabilities, or Starlink and Starshield services affecting Ukraine.
Congressional concerns about Musk’s control of Starlink have existed for years and were part of the reason the military-facing Starshield service was created, according to a congressional aide familiar with the matter. The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue, characterized the decision as an indication that the inspector general was reluctant to investigate Musk and Starlink despite being well-positioned to do so.
The aide said lawmakers need answers to two questions: whether any U.S. government officials were involved and whether Musk was exploiting a loophole in the system. The aide said the answers would help inform future oversight efforts and legislation.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the decision concerning. “It is concerning that the Inspector General has apparently decided not to investigate satellite communication disruptions that Ukraine relies on to protect its civilians,” Shaheen said in a statement to The Associated Press. Shaheen added that “the Trump Administration and SpaceX have provided conflicting accounts of what led to those disruptions” and that “there must be an independent accounting and review to determine responsibility and prevent this from happening in the future.”
Mollie Halpern, a spokeswoman for the inspector general’s office, said the watchdog “carefully considered the congressional request and determined that the matters raised were best addressed by the Department,” referring to the Pentagon. “Should new information come to light, we may reconsider,” Halpern added.
The Pentagon referred a request for comment to the inspector general’s office, while the Air Force did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Both had previously declined to answer questions about the throttling of Ukraine’s satellite internet access.
Elon Musk acknowledged over the past weekend that SpaceX had throttled Starlink in Ukraine, accusing Ukraine of violating SpaceX’s terms of service. Ukrainian officials denied the accusation. Musk maintained that the U.S. government controlled whatever changes happened with Starshield.
President Donald Trump said he did not order any restrictions. Vice President JD Vance hinted at White House coordination with Musk.
In 2022, during the early days of the conflict, Musk ordered a Starlink blackout in regions including Kherson and Donetsk, saying he was concerned about potential Russian escalation.
After this month’s slowdowns, Finnish satellite company Iceye announced that it was partnering with telecommunications company Nokia and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry to explore cooperation in space, “particularly in building sovereign satellite communications.”
Publicly, the decision leaves the authorization question unresolved. Halpern said the inspector general’s office could reconsider if new information emerges, but the Air Force had not responded to The Associated Press and the Pentagon had referred the inquiry to the watchdog.