US senators seek investigation into reported Starlink restrictions in Ukraine

A bipartisan group of US senators has called for an urgent investigation into reported disruptions to SpaceX's Starlink internet network in Ukraine. The lawmakers say the alleged restrictions may have affected battlefield communications, drone operations and intelligence-sharing used by personnel in the country. Their request comes amid concern that the issue could have weakened Ukraine's ability to respond to Russian attacks.

In a letter sent on Thursday to the US Department of Defense inspector general, the senators said they had "grave concern" about reports of speed restrictions between 12 and 14 October. The letter was led by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It asks the inspector general to determine whether the restrictions were caused by the US defence department or by contractors working with it.

The senators said the reported limits "degraded Ukraine's ability to conduct defensive operations against Russian drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure". They also said they were deeply concerned by reports of disruptions or glitches affecting intelligence-sharing and threat-warning capabilities relied upon by personnel operating in Ukraine. The letter added that US diplomatic, military and security personnel were allegedly unable to reach designated bunkers during Russian air raids, which the senators described as potentially deadly.

Starlink, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has become an important communications tool for Ukraine during the war. According to the senators' letter, the network was reportedly restricted to a speed limit of 100mph, or 160km/h, on Tuesday night, meaning some weapons travelling faster than that would have lost connectivity. That detail has raised questions about whether the reported slowdown affected drone guidance and other military uses of the system.

The issue matters because Ukraine has relied heavily on resilient communications systems to support both military operations and civilian protection during Russian strikes. Any interruption to satellite internet services could have wider consequences for air-raid warning, battlefield coordination and the sharing of threat information. The senators' intervention also highlights growing scrutiny in Washington over the role of private technology systems in wartime communications.

The signatories include Republicans Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and John Cornyn, alongside Democrats Richard Durbin, Jack Reed, Richard Blumenthal and Christopher Coons. The White House and Pentagon have not responded to the suggestion that the US may have had a role in the alleged slowdown. It remains unclear what caused the reported restrictions, whether they were deliberate or technical, and whether they affected all users in Ukraine or only certain operations.

The inspector general's findings, if the inquiry proceeds, are likely to be closely watched in both Washington and Kyiv.

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