US Senator Richard Blumenthal opened an inquiry into Ukraine's loss of critical access to the Pentagon's Starshield satellite communications service. The inquiry seeks to understand who altered the service and if the Pentagon has sufficient alternatives.
The inquiry into the disruption of Starshield, a critical US-provided satellite communication service for Ukraine, raises questions about US control over military technology and its impact on Ukraine's defense capabilities against Russia.
WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Democratic US Senator Richard Blumenthal on Thursday said he had opened an inquiry into Ukraine's loss of critical access to the Pentagon's Starshield satellite communications service, which he said degraded Kyiv's ability to defend itself against Russian attacks. Blumenthal wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Ukrainian forces lost critical access to Starshield, the military-grade counterpart to SpaceX’s Starlink network, on the evening of October 13, after their access speeds were capped. The senator is seeking information on whether the change was directed by the White House, the Department of Defense, or SpaceX. He stated the move put Ukrainian forces and civilians at risk and raised concerns about who controls critical capabilities the US government has spent billions of dollars to procure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had said on October 14 that Elon Musk's SpaceX had restricted Starlink services, weakening Ukraine's air defenses. The Pentagon is the biggest customer of Starshield. Blumenthal set deadlines of November 5 for responses to questions and November 12 for a briefing by SpaceX officials.
Pick the topics you care about. Get only what matters, on your cadence.