Senators Seek Records on Starshield Restrictions Above 160 Kilometres an Hour in Ukraine
Key Facts
U.S. senators requested information and records on restrictions on Starlink and Starshield services in Ukraine, pursuing oversight of disruptions to communications used in military operations. The Associated Press had described the restrictions as cutting a terminal's data connection when its speed exceeds 160 kilometres an hour. That is equivalent to 100 miles an hour, the threshold the agency cited in its report on the restrictions. Reuters reported that the service restrictions hampered Ukrainian offensive drone missions and air-defense missions against Russia. In their letter to the Defense Department's inspector general, the senators said Ukraine's previous service arrangements allowed use without speed limits, access it needs to operate Starlink and Starshield as intended.
Accounts differed over who decided to impose the restrictions, with responsibility attributed either to Elon Musk and his company or to the White House. Reuters cited the Wall Street Journal as reporting that Musk ordered the service slowed in the week before the newspaper's report. In another account, Reuters ultimately attributed the decision to the White House, citing U.S. officials and a Western official familiar with the matter. The U.S. administration denied that account, while Marco Rubio said decisions on making Starlink available to Ukraine rested with parent company SpaceX and Elon Musk. According to the Reuters report carrying Rubio's remarks, those decisions are outside the White House's remit.
By contrast, the senators' letter to SpaceX cited a statement by Musk assigning authority over restrictions to the U.S. government. Musk said, according to the letter: "Any restrictions on speed or usage are determined by the U.S. military and ultimately the U.S. president." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied issuing any directive on the restrictions, according to Investing's coverage of the Wall Street Journal report. On contractual arrangements, the senators said some related services are provided through contracts managed by the U.S. Space Force. Their letter to the company explains that SpaceX owns and operates the Starlink network and the infrastructure on which some Starshield services depend.
The service issue also extends to funding Ukraine's access and the cost of options it is considering, with the senators' letter explaining that Germany funds Ukraine's access to Starlink. The senators asked the company when the German government was notified of the reduction in service capabilities. According to the Associated Press, Ukrainian adviser Serhii Beskrestnov said Starshield's aviation package was "much more expensive," making a switch difficult. He added that Ukraine was exploring alternatives, including a satellite network being built by Amazon. The alternatives he cited also include the OneWeb network owned by Europe's Eutelsat.
As part of their oversight, the senators requested the preservation of communications and contractual records related to the disruptions. The preservation request covered technical directives and correspondence, including communications between the Defense Department, SpaceX and relevant parties. The senators set a deadline of 1 November 2026 to receive written confirmation of the investigation's status from the Defense Department's inspector general. They also requested an initial briefing by the same date as part of their demands to the inspector general. In a separate accountability effort, they gave SpaceX until 2 November 2026 to provide the requested information and records on the service restrictions.