Senators led by Shaheen and Tillis demand probe into Starshield disruptions

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis demanded on Nov. 13, 2026, that Congress investigate new disruptions to SpaceX’s Starshield satellite network, its military-focused satellite service, in Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces use the service to control drones and munitions.

Shaheen and Tillis said the Pentagon and SpaceX must preserve all records and turn over contracts and official correspondence to Congress, so lawmakers can establish what happened. They called unacceptable Ukraine’s report of another Starshield access restriction within roughly four weeks, and they said the Ukrainian military considers the restrictions systematic.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Nov. 12, 2026, that Starshield had again stopped working on fast-moving drones in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, with the restored speed cap at 100 miles per hour, or 161 kilometers per hour. “The speed limit is back at 161 kilometers per hour – that’s 100 miles per hour.” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in the United States, Denys Sienik, said on Nov. 13, 2026, that Starshield stopped functioning for objects moving faster than 100 miles per hour and that the limits took effect in stages several days earlier in Russian-occupied territories and along the line of contact. Sienik said Ukraine had received no explanations from either SpaceX or the Pentagon about the restrictions.

SpaceX’s media relations department denied Zelenskyy’s allegation on Nov. 12, 2026, saying there has been no change to the service. The Pentagon inspector general’s office turned down a request from U.S. senators to look into who ordered the Starshield restrictions. SpaceX holds multiple Pentagon contracts to provide Ukraine access to the military-focused Starshield service.

Representative Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas, released a statement on Nov. 12, 2026, saying he is deeply concerned and urging a full investigation into the disruptions. Ukrainian military officials investigated the circumstances and determined the speed restrictions are not random errors but are systematic.

Zelenskyy said at the 9th European Political Community Summit in Ireland that Ukraine cannot stop Russian drones coming from occupied territory if its own drones lack satellite links. He also said Washington has shared little information about why the Starshield restriction came back.

Nine senators from both parties sent a letter on Oct. 16, 2026, to the Defense Department’s Inspector General, Platt Moring III, asking for a probe into Starlink and Starshield blackouts in Ukraine and related intelligence-sharing issues. The signatories were Jeanne Shaheen, Thom Tillis, Dick Durbin, Susan Collins, Jack Reid, John Cornyn, Chris Coons, Lisa Murkowski and Richard Blumenthal. The senators warned the situation may have endangered Ukrainian air defenses and U.S. personnel stationed in the country, and they demanded an initial report on actions taken by Nov. 1, 2026.

According to that Senate letter, Ukrainian military officials said Starlink terminals on moving drones started losing functionality at higher speeds from Oct. 12 to Oct. 14, 2026, with Ukrainian tests showing a limit above roughly 63 mph and SpaceX citing 100 mph. A Ukrainian representative said on Oct. 15, 2026, that Starlink and Starshield were back at full capacity, while the cause of the limitation stayed unknown. Whether the communication problems and intelligence warnings were related remained unclear.

The senators asked whether American officials gave the go-ahead or knew beforehand about shifts in intelligence sharing, warning systems and the Starlink and Starshield services. They also want investigators to check if limits on satellite connections had anything to do with difficulties sending information about Russian missile strikes, whether SpaceX acted on its own in limiting Starshield and whether those limits matched U.S. government contracts. They also want to know whether the Pentagon, its employees or contractors contributed to a dangerous situation involving shelters during Russian airstrikes.

Tom Tillis wrote on Oct. 16, 2026, that the situation was an unacceptable error or omission, or at worst a deliberate decision leaving the field open to Russian attack, though he saw no sign the limit was intentional. “This was an unacceptable error or omission, or at worst – a deliberate decision that left the field open to Russian attack”. Tillis said.

Elon Musk said last month that the U.S. government makes decisions about Starshield restrictions, with speed or usage limits set by the U.S. military and the president, and he later stated that SpaceX restricted Ukraine’s use of commercial Starlink because it violated service terms and Kyiv used it for offensive strikes. At the time, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a private commercial contract controls Starlink access. Musk acknowledged last month that Starlink service over Ukraine slowed because Kyiv violated terms of use during offensive operations.

Industry voices have renewed demands for options other than Starlink and for stronger European sovereign control of certain communications capabilities. The recent disruptions have put additional focus on dependency on a single satellite provider. Pacôme Révillon, chief executive of Novaspace and an industry analyst, said the issue has been known and continuing for two to three years.

Finnish firm Iceye and Nokia have announced a plan to create a satellite communications capability for Ukraine under a letter of intent with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence. Rafel Jorda Siquier, chief executive and founder of Open Cosmos, said the switch controlling these capabilities must not sit outside the hands of the users.

Shaheen and Tillis urged greater pressure on President Donald Trump’s administration and on SpaceX, so Ukraine can defend itself.