Pentagon Inspector General Declines to Investigate Starlink Restrictions for Ukraine
The Pentagon's watchdog has rejected a request from nine US senators to investigate recent disruptions to Starlink and Starshield in Ukraine. It says the Department of Defense is better placed to address the issues.
The Pentagon's Inspector General, the internal watchdog of the US Department of Defense, has declined to investigate restrictions on Starlink and its military version Starshield in Ukraine. Both services are run by Elon Musk's company SpaceX, and Starlink is a satellite internet system vital to Ukraine's communications during the war. The Associated Press reported the decision.
The request came from nine US lawmakers, four Republicans and five Democrats. It followed reports earlier this month from Ukrainian officials that their connection speeds had been limited. Ukraine said the restrictions hampered efforts to intercept Russian jet-powered strike drones.
The senators asked whether any Pentagon or other US government officials directed, authorized, approved or had advance knowledge of changes to intelligence-sharing arrangements, warning capabilities, or Starlink and Starshield services affecting Ukraine.
The response
In its reply, the inspector general's office said the US Air Force would be better placed to answer the senators' concerns. Spokeswoman Molly Halpern said the office had carefully reviewed the request and concluded the issues are best handled by the Department. She added that the decision could be revisited if new information emerges. The Pentagon referred requests for comment to the inspector general's office, and the Air Force did not immediately respond.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was troubling that the inspector general apparently chose not to investigate disruptions to satellite communications Ukraine relies on to protect its civilians. She said the Trump administration and SpaceX had given conflicting accounts and called for an independent investigation.
Earlier developments
Musk has claimed Ukrainian troops violated the terms of use, and said that without Starlink the Ukrainian front would collapse instantly. On October 21 he wrote that any speed or usage limits are approved by the US military and ultimately the US president. According to The Wall Street Journal, Musk himself ordered the military version slowed, and President Donald Trump reportedly asked him to lift the limits. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said publicity helped restore the system's operation.
