A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has called on the Department of Defense inspector general to conduct an immediate inquiry into recent connectivity curbs on satellite networks operating in Ukraine, warning that the disruptions hindered defensive missions against Russian air strikes.
The letter, dispatched Thursday and spearheaded by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, cited grave concerns regarding speed constraints placed on satellite communications between Oct. 12 and Oct. 14, BBC News reported. Lawmakers asked watchdog officials to determine whether the Pentagon or commercial contractors played a role in the throttled access.
Concerns Over Bunker Access and Interceptors
The Senate coalition includes Democrats Jack Reed, Richard Blumenthal, Richard Durbin and Christopher Coons, alongside Republican Senators Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski and John Cornyn. Beyond battlefield impacts, the senators expressed alarm over reports that system glitches disrupted early-warning capabilities and intelligence sharing.
“We are particularly alarmed by incidents in which U.S. diplomatic, military, and security personnel were unable to reach designated bunkers during Russian air raids,” the lawmakers wrote, according to BBC News.
Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s aerospace firm SpaceX, placed a travel limit of 100 mph on connected devices Tuesday night, leaving fast-moving drones without satellite connectivity, BBC News reported. Sources within Ukraine’s defense ministry told the Kyiv Post that units experienced lost links at speeds ranging between 45 and 100 mph without advance notice.
Ukrainian forces rely on satellite connectivity to operate interceptor drones against incoming Russian strikes. Dan Rice, president of American University Kyiv, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that throttled connections jeopardize civilian safety when hundreds of incoming jet-powered drones threaten residential districts, schools and hospitals.
Allied Repercussions and Battlefield Strain
Ukrainian officials warned that the communication restrictions arrived during an aggressive Russian push targeting vital power grids and transport networks. Serhiy Derkach, Ukraine’s first deputy minister for recovery, infrastructure and transport, told CNBC that the curbs emboldened Moscow to strike bridges across Kyiv and isolate roughly two million citizens along the Dnipro River.
“With U.S. limiting the use of Starlinks on the battlefield, Russia feels that this is their moment to try and inflict even more pain and suffering on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure,” Derkach told CNBC.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the constraints have caused fatal consequences. “People are dying because of his decision,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with Piers Morgan, though he declined to point fingers directly at Musk or government officials, according to the Kyiv Post.
Musk, however, indicated that limits on military operations stem from Washington rather than private decisions at SpaceX. Writing on social media platform X, Musk said the military variant Starshield is owned and run by the U.S. government, noting that “any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately POTUS.”
International allies also raised objections. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul insisted the limitations must end because Berlin finances a portion of the equipment in Ukraine, telling broadcaster ntv that Germany was pressing Washington for answers, the Kyiv Post reported.
Although Ukrainian defense sources informed the Kyiv Post on Thursday that in-motion connectivity had resumed, it remains unclear what baseline speeds remain in effect or whether long-term policy adjustments will guarantee full service during future Russian barrages.
