US lawmakers demand answers from Elon Musk over Ukraine Starlink restrictions

U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Peter Welch led four other lawmakers on Oct. 23 in demanding that Elon Musk answer questions about Ukrainian Starlink disruptions.

In a public letter, Democratic Senators and Representatives listed five questions concerning Starlink restrictions impacting Ukrainian forces, addressed to Musk.

"As a publicly traded company, SpaceX has a legal obligation to disclose to shareholders and the public material events that could affect your business model," the lawmakers wrote in the letter. "The revelation that you personally wielded control over a foreign country’s military communications would require disclosure of elevated risks for corporate governance, geopolitical exposure, and potential adverse actions by foreign governments."

The lawmakers gave Musk until October 31 to answer their questions.

The demand comes as Ukrainian forces continue to experience severe problems operating Starlink military systems.

Since mid-October, Starshield, the militarized version of Elon Musk's satellite internet system, Starlink, has been operating at limited capacity. With speed limit caps, Kyiv's ability to defend from deadly Russian jet-powered drones and coordinate strikes against Russian targets is hindered.

"Just last month, more than 300 Ukrainian civilians were killed and 2,000 injured by Russian drone and missile strikes," the lawmakers wrote in their letter. "Ukraine has built an innovative network of drone systems to defend against the thousands of strikes launched each month by Russia. However, these life-saving systems often depend on Starlink’s military version, Starshield, for accurate communication and transmission of targeting data."

Despite Ukrainian and U.S. officials apparently engaging in discussions to resolve the disruptions, nobody has publicly taken credit — or blame — for making or implementing the decision. However, the Trump administration officials continue pointing fingers firmly at SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Oct. 23 that Trump had ordered SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Oct. 21 to lift the restrictions, saying the president was "frustrated the system's speeds remained capped at around 160 kilometers (100 miles) an hour."

Trump said he had not spoken to Musk about the issue but might do so if the problems persisted.

"I have not spoken to him," Trump said. "I might have to, but I have not... I've heard it's fixed. If it's not, I will speak to him.... If there's a problem, I will get it straightened out."

On Oct. 23, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that issues with Starlink continued to plague Ukrainian forces.

"The speed restrictions for Starlink and Starshield are still in effect," Zelensky said. "The speed has not been restored. And the supply of interceptor missiles to protect against Russian ballistic missiles is still delayed."

On Oct. 23, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, also a Democrat, announced that he is opening a probe into the Starlink disruption. Blumenthal's investigation asks the Pentagon to clarify who ordered the restrictions and to provide information on the U.S. military's own reliance on Starlink.