Oct. 28 — The Pentagon’s inspector general has declined a request from a bipartisan group of nine US senators to independently investigate the disruptions of Starlink and Starshield satellite communication in Ukraine. Associated Press reported that Pentagon’s officials referred this matter to the US Air Force. 

Mollie Halperm, a spokesperson for the inspector general’s office, told AP that the request had been “carefully” reviewed and Pentagon’s decision could be reconsidered if new information emerged. 

Since Oct. 14, SpaceX or the White House has reportedly imposed a 100-mile-per-hour limit on drones and vehicles moving, equipped with Starlink terminals using Starshield, a military version of the solution. These limitations severely hampered Ukrainian drone operations, including those related to countering Russia’s jet-powered drones using interceptor drones. 

On Oct. 24, Forbes Ukraine reported that Starlink and Starshield systems had resumed working at speeds more than 161 kilometers per hour (100 mph).  

The US lawmakers sought an investigation into whether the Pentagon or the other US agencies had ordered, approved, or known in advance about changes to satellite communications, the sharing of the intelligence arrangements, and early warning systems for Ukraine. 

Jeanne Shaheen, democratic senator who signed the request for investigation, said an independent investigation was necessary because the administration of the US President Donald Trump and SpaceX, the company owned by Elon Musk, billionaire and critic of aid for Ukraine, had offered conflicting explanations for the restrictions. 

The senators also sought to determine whether Musk had exploited gaps in the government’s oversight mechanisms. AP said that findings of the investigation could inform future congressional oversight and potential legislative changes. 

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