Musk ordered to preserve records on Ukraine’s Starlink access by Democratic US senators

Democratic US senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons have ordered SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to preserve all records concerning restrictions placed on Ukraine’s use of Starlink and Starshield satellite services. According to the Kyiv Independent, the senators' letter demands documentation regarding service shutdowns occurring between October 13–24 and on November 12. The request also includes records from September 1 and communications between Musk, SpaceX officials, the White House, and the U.S. Defense Department.

The Kyiv Independent reports that these restrictions limited Starshield’s operating speed to 161 kilometers per hour, an action that impacts Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian strike drones. Ukrainian forces have described Starshield, a military-grade version of Starlink, as vital for drone operations and frontline communications during their defense against Russian attacks.

Shaheen and Coons stated that the interference with the service raises questions regarding SpaceX's control over national security matters and denounced the company's opaque decision-making. The senators expressed concern that these vulnerabilities might exist within systems that the U.S. government relies upon.

Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post, Kyiv Independent — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.