The Pentagon’s inspector general has rejected a request from Democrats and Republicans to investigate recent limits on the military Starshield package for Starlink systems in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Authorities in Kyiv had earlier reported the problem.
In the first half of October, Ukraine warned that the connection to Starlink terminals dropped out when moving at speeds above 160 km/h (about 100 mph), while Russian drones reach speeds of roughly 320-380 km/h (about 200-236 mph). Ukrainian authorities said the limits made it impossible to carry out some military operations, including countering Russian unmanned aircraft.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Starlink systems had resumed working at speeds above 160 km/h.
The request for an investigation was prepared by four Republicans and five Democrats, AP reported. The inspector general told the agency that the U.S. Air Force should respond to their requests.
An anonymous congressman told AP that the Defense Department’s refusal is seen as the inspector general’s unwillingness to open an investigation into the influence of SpaceX owner Elon Musk on a critical communications system, even though the inspector general has the authority to do so.
Musk himself confirmed on Sunday that Starlink had been restricted in Ukraine, blaming Kyiv for violating the system’s terms of use. Kyiv rejected those accusations. The American billionaire said that the government in Washington controls how Starlink operates, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he had not ordered any restrictions. (PAP)
