US Democrats direct Musk to preserve records on Ukraine's Starlink restriction, WSJ reports

U.S. Senate Democrats have instructed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to preserve all records pertaining to the restriction of Ukraine's Starlink/Starshield service, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The request comes as Ukraine continues to experience significant disruptions to its crucial military communications system. The restrictions currently limit Starshield's operating speed to 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), hampering Ukraine's ability to detect and counter Russian strike drones.

A letter obtained by the WSJ urges Musk to retain documentation related to the service outages from October 13-24 and again on November 12.

Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons expressed concern over the possibility that these vulnerabilities may still exist within systems relied upon by the U.S. government. They have demanded SpaceX provide records from September 1, including any communications regarding Ukraine's Starlink and Starshield services, as well as exchanges between Musk, SpaceX officials, the White House, and the U.S. Defense Department.

The senators denounce SpaceX's opaque decision-making and question the company's control over national security matters.

Starlink service restrictions have raised further suspicions, as SpaceX disputes claims that Ukraine has been subjected to renewed speed caps. SpaceX maintains that there has been no change, despite Musk's previous statements proposing the limitations to U.S. President Donald Trump. Musk suggested Ukraine violated Starlink's terms of service, an assertion Ukraine has refuted.

With Democrats set to investigate the White House's handling of the war in Ukraine and Musk's involvement in January 2027, the ongoing scrutiny of SpaceX's actions intensifies.