Pentagon Inspector General Refuses Probe Into Starlink, Starshield Slowdowns Over Ukraine

Watchdog declines probe

The Pentagon inspector general’s office refused a bipartisan request to investigate recent disruptions to Starlink and Starshield satellite internet service to Ukraine, and the office said the questions should be directed to the US Air Force and Space Force. Pentagon Inspector General Platte Moring wrote that “They are better suited to address the matters raised in your letter and to coordinate any Department responses to your questions,” in a letter dated Tuesday. The senators’ request followed Ukrainian officials’ account that military drones lost satellite connectivity when traveling above 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), and the limit was removed after about 10 days.

Ukraine cites speed limit1 of 4 outlets reported it · not in ETV Bharat and 2 more▾

The Ars Technica account said five Democratic and four Republican senators sent an October 15 letter to Moring asking for a probe into reported disruptions of Starlink and Starshield. 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.”

Senators request probe3 of 4 outlets reported it · not in Reforma▾

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Conflicting accounts

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said the decision was “concerning” and argued that “there must be an independent accounting and review to determine responsibility and prevent this from happening in the future.”

Musk acknowledged over the weekend that SpaceX had throttled Starlink in Ukraine, and he accused Ukraine of violating Starlink’s terms of service, a charge Ukrainian officials rejected.

Musk wrote that “That loophole was closed last week,” and he said “Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government,” in an X post.

Serhiy Sternenko, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, disputed Musk’s claims and said speed restrictions and the service’s unavailability over Russian territory made Ukraine “physically unable to use commercial Starlink” for medium- and long-range strikes into Russia.

Sternenko denies use1 of 5 outlets reported it · not in Ars Technica and 3 more▾

CNN reported that the issues with Starshield were discovered after the administration threatened to withhold intelligence to Kyiv over its strikes on Russian refineries and after President Donald Trump made a deal to buy Russian diesel and ease sanctions on Moscow.

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What happens next

The Pentagon watchdog’s refusal left lawmakers seeking answers about whether any Pentagon or other US government officials “directed, authorized, approved, or had advance knowledge” of changes affecting Starlink and Starshield services in Ukraine. CNN said it was not until this Saturday that the speeds were fully restored, and it described ongoing questions about who was behind the slowdowns. Ars Technica reported that the congressional letter asked whether any restrictions on Starlink or Starshield services were directed, authorized, or implemented by SpaceX, the Department of Defense, or other US government entities.

The Ars Technica account also tied the satellite problems to a sequence that included the administration threatening to withhold intelligence to Kyiv over its strikes on Russian refineries and President Donald Trump making a deal to buy Russian diesel and ease sanctions on Moscow. The ETV Bharat account said the refusal raised concerns among lawmakers that the military and even its independent inspector general were reluctant to confront the influence that SpaceX chief Elon Musk has over defense communications.

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