One day after Ukraine reported its drones losing speed after sudden and unannounced restrictions on its battlefield use of Starlink communication terminals, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are criticizing the Defense Department and Elon Musk, who owns the company that operates the satellite-based internet service.
“I’m not holding my breath for Defense Secretary (Pete) Hegseth to offer transparency, so we’ll be asking the DOD Inspector General to initiate an investigation and report back to Congress and the American People,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wrote on X on Wednesday. “Meanwhile, both Ukrainian civilians and U.S. diplomatic and security personnel were placed at unnecessary risk and without warning.”
On Wednesday, Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote on social media that SpaceX had imposed a speed limit on Ukraine’s Starlink terminals that are mounted on drones. He said the restriction disrupted operations, including making the slower-flying attack drones easier targets for Russian defenses.
Musk wrote on X on Wednesday that the dedicated military and national security satellite network SpaceX operates as Starshield is “owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.”
Hegseth has yet to issue a public statement addressing the alleged Starshield speed restrictions.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump insisted the U.S. had not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials fear U.S. support for their country’s war effort is falling away after Trump struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel despite international efforts to sanction Russia for its invasion and isolate Putin.
Over the weekend, Trump said it was time for Ukraine to get a new president, suggesting Zelenskyy has not done enough to end the war with Russia and blaming him for high diesel prices in the United States.
“Trump supports the Dictator Putin and opposes Ukraine who wants our freedom and independence,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., wrote on X on Wednesday. “Ukraine loves America freedoms. Putin hates it. Why does Trump love Putin?”
Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee wrote on X on Wednesday: “Trump’s making a choice — and it directly aids Putin’s slaughter of Ukrainian civilians.”
Bacon, who sits on the House Committee on Armed Services, wrote on X: “Does the Administration think it will get ANY support for the remainder of the 119th Congress? Their agenda is dead unless they change paths.”
By late Wednesday, Ukrainian drone operators were reporting improved data connections, Zelenskyy said. But a Ukrainian official said the speeds were still too slow to intercept jet-powered Russian drones, and the country needed all restrictions to be lifted.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., wrote on X on Wednesday that “Trump and Musk must be held accountable,” while Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said the U.S. needs answers.
“First, Trump said that Ukraine should get a new President. Then, Starlink, run by Elon Musk, was severely restricted in Ukraine — meaning a majority of battlefield communications were totally stopped — a move Ukraine is saying the US ordered,” Jayapal wrote on X on Wednesday. “This sets a dangerous precedent of interference in foreign wars, and of the ability of a single corporation to shut off communications at will.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: spectrumlocalnews.com
