Pentagon watchdog rejects probe into Ukraine satellite slowdowns

Pentagon Inspector General Platte Moring declined a request from nine bipartisan senators to open an investigation into the slowdown of satellite internet services in Ukraine. The decision was outlined in a letter dated Tuesday, which directs the legislative inquiry to the United States Air Force and Space Force.

The senators, led by Republican Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, requested an immediate investigation earlier this month. They cited disruptions to both the military-grade Starshield system and the commercial-grade Starlink service. Ukrainian officials stated that the speed restrictions arrived without warning and severely hindered the country's defensive capabilities.

Moring wrote that the Air Force and Space Force are better suited to address the specific matters raised in the senators' letter. He indicated that these branches should coordinate any Department responses to the questions. The letter was first reported by the Associated Press.

Shaheen expressed concern that the inspector general decided against investigating disruptions that Ukraine relies on to protect civilians. She noted that the Trump administration and SpaceX have provided conflicting accounts of the events. According to Shaheen, these disruptions weakened Ukrainian defenses and unnecessarily put American personnel in Ukraine at risk. She urged the inspector general to conduct a full investigation to determine responsibility.

Mollie Halpern, the spokesperson for the Pentagon’s inspector general office, stated that the office carefully considered the congressional request. She said the office determined the matters were best addressed by the Department. Halpern added that the office may reconsider if new information comes to light.

The issues emerged after the administration threatened to withhold intelligence from Kyiv regarding its strikes on Russian refineries. President Donald Trump subsequently agreed to a deal to purchase Russian diesel and ease sanctions on Moscow. Speeds were fully restored on Saturday, though questions persist regarding who initiated the slowdowns.

Trump stated he was not responsible for the disruptions. Some within the United States placed blame on Elon Musk, the billionaire head of SpaceX and Trump ally. Musk appeared to confirm on Sunday that SpaceX throttled Starlink speeds but maintained that the military-grade Starshield is a separate system controlled by the US government. He accused the Ukrainian military of violating terms of service by using commercial Starlink for offensive drone strikes.

Serhiy Sternenko, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former Ministry of Defense adviser, disputed Musk’s accusations. Sternenko said speed restrictions and service unavailability over Russian territory made Ukraine physically unable to use commercial Starlink for medium and long-range strikes into Russia. He stated with certainty that the commercial service was not used for the purpose Musk described.