US senator seeks Pentagon investigation into Starshield restrictions in Ukraine
US Senator Thom Tillis has called for an investigation into the disruption of Starshield satellite communications in Ukraine, saying the restrictions may have originated within the Pentagon's systems rather than at SpaceX.
“The latest reporting suggests this strategic snafu may have occurred more locally within DOD Starshield systems, not with Starlink or SpaceX,” Tillis wrote on X on October 15.
The senator said he would ask the Department of Defense inspector general to investigate the incident and report its findings to Congress and the American public.
He criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying he did not expect the Pentagon's leadership to provide transparency voluntarily.
Tillis warned that the restrictions had exposed Ukrainian civilians and US diplomatic and security personnel to unnecessary risks without advance warning.
“At best, this was an unacceptable error or lapse,” he wrote, raising the possibility that the restrictions could instead have been a deliberate decision intended to facilitate a Russian attack.
The senator did not provide evidence that the disruption was intentional.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed that Starshield terminals used by Ukrainian forces experienced restrictions on October 14, disrupting communications on moving platforms and complicating some drone operations.
SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk subsequently said Starshield systems were owned and controlled by the US government, while the White House denied deliberately imposing the restrictions and attributed the disruption to a technical malfunction.
On October 15, Ukraine's Defense Ministry reported that Starshield communications on moving platforms had resumed, while officials continued working to establish the cause of the incident.
No investigation by the Pentagon inspector general has yet been announced.