Pentagon watchdog tells lawmakers it won't investigate Starlink slowdowns to Ukraine
Lawmakers said the slowdown hampered Ukraine’s drone defenses, while Musk said SpaceX throttled service after alleged terms-of-service violations.
- In a Tuesday response, the Pentagon's Inspector General declined a bipartisan request to investigate recent Starlink and Starshield service disruptions in Ukraine, stating concerns are better addressed by the Air Force.
- Nine lawmakers, including four Republicans and five Democrats, had requested the investigation to determine if U.S. officials authorized satellite service changes or if Elon Musk exploited system loopholes.
- The Trump Administration and SpaceX have offered contradictory explanations for the slowdowns, with Musk claiming Ukraine violated terms of service while President Donald Trump denied ordering any restrictions.
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen criticized the watchdog's decision, calling for an independent accounting to determine responsibility for disruptions that impeded the interception of Russian attack drones.
- Finnish satellite company Iceye announced a partnership with Nokia and the Ukrainian defense ministry to explore building sovereign satellite communications capabilities following the service interruptions.
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98 Articles
Pentagon inspector general declines to investigate Starlink disruptions in Ukraine - Regional Media News
The Pentagon's inspector general has declined to investigate disruptions of Starlink and Starshield in Ukraine, writing in a letter to lawmakers who had requested a probe that his office is not best suited to deliver answers. Platte Moring, who leads the independent watchdog office at [...]
The Pentagon's inspector general has refused to conduct an independent investigation into the disruptions and speed limits of Starlink and Starshield satellite communications in Ukraine at the request of US senators. This was reported in the Associated Press. The audit was requested by a bipartisan group of nine U.S. senators who wanted to find out whether American officials influenced the operation of the systems and the sharing of intelligence…
Pentagon inspector general declines to investigate Starlink disruptions in Ukraine
Soldiers of the National Police of Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia region take a camouflage case off a Starlink satellite communication terminal to be set up at a combat position in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Oct. 16, 2026.
Pentagon Watchdog Declines to Probe Ukraine Intel, Starlink Cuts
Pentagon inspector general declines to open Starlink investigation
The War Department Office of Inspector General has declined a request from members of Congress to open an investigation into this month’s controversial slowdown of SpaceX platforms used by Ukraine. The decision comes about two weeks after a bipartisan group of senators urged the inspector general to investigate which U.S. officials were responsible for slowdowns […]
The untold story of Ukraine's Starlink crisis
The crisis in Ukraine over restrictions on the military use of SpaceX’s satellite constellation in the Russia-Ukraine war won’t be readily resolved. US lawmakers and the European Commission have now joined the fray, raising questions about the accountability of Trump administration officials and SpaceX executives. Nobody likes being held accountable, so even lifting the restrictions […]
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