The Pentagon inspector general has declined to investigate reported slowdowns in Space X’s Starshield satellite communications used by Ukraine, despite calls from Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Shaheen expressed concern that the inspector general would not examine disruptions that Ukraine depends on to protect civilians, citing conflicting accounts from the Trump administration and Space X about the cause of the outages.
Elon Musk previously stated that all limits on Starshield speed and usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately the president. Former President Trump denied ordering the restrictions, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration had no foreknowledge of the slowdown.
Shaheen argued that the conflicting narratives weakened Ukraine’s defenses and unnecessarily endangered American personnel, urging a full independent investigation to determine responsibility and prevent future incidents.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Musk as a “genius” while announcing Russia’s plan to develop its own satellite constellation. Speaking at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Putin acknowledged Starlink’s role in Ukraine’s military operations, noting that Space X already operates thousands of satellites while Russia is just beginning its program. He added that Russia maintains close contact with American partners, including Musk, to coordinate orbital activities.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing