The Pentagon's oversight body, the Office of the Inspector General, has rejected a bipartisan request from US senators to investigate recent disruptions to the Starlink and Starshield services for Ukraine.
Source: Associated Press , citing sources, senators and the Pentagon's response
Details: The AP notes that this raises concerns among American lawmakers that the military and even the independent inspector general are unwilling to challenge the influence that SpaceX head Elon Musk has over the defence communications system.
A bipartisan group of senators asked the Pentagon's watchdog to conduct an investigation after Ukrainian officials reported in October that their connection speeds to the Starlink service and its military version Starshield, both created by Musk, had been restricted.
AP's report emphasises that these services are crucial for ensuring communications in Ukraine during the war, and Ukrainian officials stated that these restrictions hindered the interception of Russian jet attack drones.
In a response obtained by AP, the Pentagon watchdog informed the group of nine lawmakers – four Republicans and five Democrats – that the US Air Force would be better placed to answer their request regarding these concerns.
AP quotes a congressional aide familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity, who said this is viewed as a refusal by the inspector general to investigate Musk and Starlink, despite being fully capable to do so.
Quote from Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "It is concerning that the Inspector General has apparently decided not to investigate satellite communication disruptions that Ukraine relies on to protect its civilians."
Details: Shaheen added that "the Trump administration and SpaceX have provided conflicting accounts of what led to those disruptions" and that "there must be an independent accounting and review to determine responsibility and prevent this from happening in the future" .
AP adds that the lack of answers raises questions about the extent of influence that Musk, an ally of President Donald Trump, has over this critical communications system.
The congressional aide told the publication that concerns on Capitol Hill regarding Musk's control over Starlink have existed for years and were one of the reasons for creating Starshield, the military version of the system.
When Mollie Halpern, a spokesperson for the Inspector General's Office, was asked about the decision regarding the investigation, she said the watchdog had "carefully considered the congressional request and determined that the matters raised were best addressed by the Department" , referring to the Pentagon.
Halpern later added that if new information arises, the Pentagon may revisit its decision.
The Pentagon referred a request for comment to the Inspector General's Office, while the Air Force did not immediately respond to messages requesting comment. Both had previously declined to answer questions regarding the restriction of Ukraine's access to satellite internet.
Background: Nine lawmakers asked the Pentagon inspector general to investigate whether any Pentagon or other US government officials had "directed, authorised, approved or had advance knowledge of changes to intelligence-sharing arrangements, warning capabilities, or Starlink and Starshield services affecting Ukraine". On 24 October, SpaceX owner Elon Musk commented on restrictions on access to Starlink , claiming that the Ukrainian military had violated the terms of use for this type of communications system. He also said that if Starlink were switched off, "the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately". On 21 October, after information about the speed reduction became public, Musk wrote : "Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS." Meanwhile, according to The Wall Street Journal, Musk ordered a speed reduction for the military version of Starlink for Ukraine, which rendered a portion of Ukrainian strike drones and interceptor drones practically unusable. On 22 October, the WSJ learned that US President Donald Trump had allegedly called Elon Musk and asked him to lift the restrictions on Starshield in Ukraine. On 19 October, Zelenskyy said that Starlink and Starshield equipment had stopped working at speeds of 130-161 km/h in various sectors of the front line, disrupting logistics and limiting Ukraine's use of drones. Zelenskyy believes that publicity surrounding the connection restrictions has helped to restore the Starlink system's operation to the required speed.
Subscribe onPatreonto back our journalism long-term.