Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons ordered Elon Musk to preserve records on SpaceX's restrictions on Starshield in Ukraine, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says hamper drone defenses.
The restrictions cap satellite connectivity on Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink, for Ukrainian military drones above 100 mph along the entire frontline and in Russian-occupied territories. Zelenskyy said on Friday that the limits "limit our ability to intercept jet-powered Shaheds and counter other drones" and called the curbs a "very bad signal" from the United States. He said they sent Russia a signal that Washington might treat occupied Ukrainian territory differently, adding: "We expect the speed to be restored."
Ukrainian forces say Starshield is vital for frontline communications and drone operations. A Ukrainian official told Axios that by the third day of the new speed cap, all Starshield missions were failing. SpaceX said there has been no change to the service. Senior Ukrainian officials told the Financial Times they see the cap as pressure during peace talks.
In a letter to Musk, Shaheen and Coons gave SpaceX until 30 November to confirm it has preserved the records. "The October and November restrictions now raise the disturbing possibility that these vulnerabilities persist even within systems on which the U.S. government relies," the senators wrote.
Ukraine first reported restrictions on Starlink and Starshield in mid-October. Service was restored on 24 October, but Ukrainian forces reported renewed disruptions this week. Neither SpaceX nor the US government accepted responsibility for the earlier restrictions, according to Reuters.
