Nine US senators are seeking to establish who authorized restrictions on Ukraine’s military satellite communications, demanding Pentagon records that could identify whether government officials or SpaceX made decisions that disrupted Ukrainian drone operations.
The bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to Pentagon Inspector General Platte Moring III requesting an investigation into changes affecting Starshield and Starlink services. They asked investigators to determine who directed, approved, or knew about the restrictions before they took effect.
The request comes as Reuters separately reported that an instruction to slow Starshield originated inside the White House, according to two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter. The sources said Pentagon leaders received the instruction but did not identify who issued it or who implemented the restriction.
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A senior US official denied that President Donald Trump personally requested the change, according to the outlet.
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The bipartisan congressional letter, led by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Senator Thom Tillis, was also signed by Republicans Susan Collins, John Cornyn, and Lisa Murkowski, alongside four additional Democrats.
The senators asked investigators to preserve communications, contractual records, technical directives, and correspondence involving the Pentagon, SpaceX, and other government agencies.
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Their inquiry specifically seeks to determine whether SpaceX independently restricted service, whether any such action complied with government contracts, and whether Pentagon officials approved or received advance notice of the changes.
Some of Ukraine’s satellite communications arrangements are administered through the US Space Force, according to the senators. No contractual violation has been established.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said Starshield is controlled by the US government, with decisions over usage restrictions resting with the military or the president.
The restrictions reportedly operated between October 12 and 14, interfering with terminals aboard fast-moving Ukrainian drones. Yevhen Karas, commander of Ukraine’s 413th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment, told the AP News that the disruption lasted approximately one day and resulted in failed missions and lost drones.
The number and financial value of the lost aircraft remain undisclosed. Karas subsequently reported that his unit’s connectivity had returned to the required speeds.
The senators also raised separate allegations that American diplomatic, military, and security personnel experienced difficulties reaching designated shelters during Russian air raids amid disruptions to intelligence-sharing and early-warning capabilities.
They requested an examination of whether those incidents involved technical failures, policy decisions, contractor actions, or interruptions in US intelligence support.
Lawmakers requested written confirmation of the investigation’s status and an initial briefing by November 1, 2026.
