U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal opened an inquiry Thursday into Ukraine’s restricted Starshield access, pressing the Pentagon to explain who imposed limits on a key military communications service.
In a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Blumenthal said Ukrainian forces faced a disruption late Oct. 13 after a cap on connection speeds kept some equipment from maintaining Starshield links. Starshield is SpaceX’s military-grade satellite communications service and a counterpart to its Starlink network, Reuters reported.
Blumenthal said the episode put Ukrainian forces and civilians at risk. He cited billions of dollars the U.S. government had spent procuring critical capabilities and raised concerns about government reliance on SpaceX technology, according to the letter.
Blumenthal, the senior Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said the panel would examine the government’s dealings with SpaceX. Reuters reported that the Pentagon is Starshield’s biggest customer.
The letter asks the Defense Department to determine whether U.S. officials or SpaceX imposed the restriction and what backup communications the Pentagon could use if the service became unavailable. The panel separately requested a briefing from SpaceX officials with direct knowledge of the restriction.
Reuters reported that Republicans’ control of the Senate leaves Blumenthal able to request information and briefings but without subpoena power to compel them.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Oct. 14 that SpaceX had restricted Starlink service, weakening Ukraine’s air defenses, Reuters reported. A Pentagon spokesperson said the department would respond directly to the congressional correspondence. Blumenthal set Nov. 5 for Hegseth’s written answers and requested the SpaceX briefing by Nov. 12.
