U.S. Senators Have Called For An Investigation Into Satellite Communication Outages In Ukraine
- 16.10.2026, 13:52
A letter to that effect has been sent to the Pentagon's Inspector General.
A group of nine U.S. senators from both parties has called for an investigation into sudden disruptions in satellite communications and intelligence sharing that may have weakened Ukraine’s defenses and put U.S. diplomats and military personnel at risk. The letter was sent to the Pentagon’s inspector general, according to The New York Times.
The issue concerns Starshield—the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, which is used by the Ukrainian military. Between October 12 and 14, connection speed limits disrupted the operation of Ukrainian drones and hindered the defense against Russian attacks.
At the same time, questions arose regarding missile strike warning systems. Senators reported instances where U.S. personnel were unable to reach shelters in time during Russian airstrikes.
“Malfunctions in critical communications and threat warning systems in a combat zone can have deadly consequences,” lawmakers warn.
The authors of the letter demand clarification on whether representatives of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump were aware of the impending restrictions, who made the decision, and whether SpaceX violated the terms of its government contracts. Separately, the senators want to determine whether the satellite communication disruptions are linked to problems with intelligence sharing.
The letter was initiated by Democrat Jean Shaheen. The letter was also signed by Republicans Tom Tillis, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and John Cornyn, as well as Democrats Jack Reed, Richard Durbin, Chris Coons, and Richard Blumenthal.
The senators demanded that all correspondence and documents related to the incidents be preserved and that a preliminary report be submitted by November 1. They emphasize that the causes of the malfunctions have not yet been determined, but the potential consequences require an immediate investigation.