Four U.S. senators are seeking SpaceX records on reported restrictions to satellite services used by Ukraine, as Kyiv says the limits are disrupting military operations along the front.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse and Chris Coons wrote to SpaceX on Oct. 19 seeking records covering Oct. 10 to 15. They asked who can change Ukraine’s Starshield access, which company personnel handled or were told about Starshield restrictions, and how SpaceX decides when to limit Starlink. They also asked whether Germany, which the senators said funds Ukraine’s Starlink service, had been notified.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told U.S. lawmakers on Oct. 19 that limits on how fast connected equipment can move still applied in parts of the front. He said they hindered frontline logistics, mid-range strikes and Ukraine’s ability to defend against Shahed drones. Ukraine had received no explanation, he said.
Starshield is a SpaceX service for military and intelligence customers that uses Starlink technology. The four senators pointed to SpaceX’s ownership and operation of Starlink infrastructure used by some Starshield services. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said the U.S. government owns and controls Starshield and that the military, with the president as final authority, sets its speed and usage limits.
Nine senators from both parties had written to Defense Department Inspector General Platte Moring III on Oct. 15, seeking an investigation into satellite restrictions reported from Oct. 12 to 14. Their letter also cited reports of disrupted intelligence sharing and attack warnings, including accounts that U.S. personnel had trouble reaching designated shelters during Russian air raids. They asked Moring to examine whether those incidents were connected to the satellite restrictions.
The nine senators also asked whether U.S. officials directed, authorized or approved service changes, and whether SpaceX imposed restrictions independently. They urged Moring to start an investigation and provide written confirmation of its status and an initial briefing by Nov. 1. The four senators requested SpaceX’s response by Nov. 2.
