Ukraine has yet to receive a response from the Pentagon or Elon Musk’s SpaceX regarding restrictions imposed on satellite communications used by its military, Kyiv’s top diplomat in Washington has told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), as bipartisan calls grow in the US Congress for an investigation.
“The speed restrictions have not been lifted,” Denys Sienik, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in the United States, told RFE/RL, adding that Kyiv had received no response from either the Pentagon or SpaceX.
The dispute surrounding Starlink and Starshield, SpaceX’s military-oriented satellite communications service, has raised questions about who authorised the restrictions, whether the Trump administration knew about them in advance, and how the changes affected Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian attacks.
On October 21, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that President Donald Trump or any other US government official had requested changes to the systems.
However, a congressional delegation that recently visited Kyiv said the restrictions had weakened Ukraine’s air defences and put American personnel at risk.
Satellite restrictions raise security concerns
Interruptions affecting Starshield, which Ukraine relies heavily on to defend against Russian air attacks, have reportedly left the country particularly vulnerable since restrictions were first reported on October 13–14.
Russia launched another wave of attacks on Kyiv overnight on October 21, killing one person and injuring at least 22 others, including four children, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. Reports said missiles struck residential buildings, an ambulance station and a petrol station, as diplomatic efforts to restart peace talks continued.
“During the night, Kyiv residents heard what Russian ‘humanism’ really sounds like,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. “Concessions, submission and flattery will not stop this war. Only strength will.”
Dan Rice, a former special adviser to the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces and president of the American University Kyiv, told RFE/RL that several separate issues had become entangled in the controversy: intelligence sharing, speed restrictions on satellite communications and deliveries of Patriot air defence missiles.
Rice said he believed Rubio was referring to intelligence sharing when insisting that the United States had not halted assistance to Ukraine.
“Intelligence was shared,” Rice said, adding that a technical problem had prevented air-raid alerts from being delivered to people’s phones.
“If Secretary Rubio says there has been no interruption in intelligence sharing, I believe him,” he added.
The distinction is significant because the continuation of intelligence sharing does not necessarily mean that satellite communications remained unaffected.
Russian drones pose a particular challenge
During a press briefing on October 21, an adviser to Senate Democrats who had just returned from Kyiv said the delegation had witnessed Russian drones and missiles approaching the capital with exceptionally limited advance warning.
The adviser said Starshield restrictions were in place during the delegation’s visit from October 13 to 16 and, in his assessment, had endangered both Ukrainian civilians and American personnel.
Russian jet-powered Shahed drones, which can travel at approximately 450 kilometres per hour or faster, present a particular challenge.
According to reports, the initial speed limit imposed on Starshield was around 97 kilometres per hour before being raised to approximately 161 kilometres per hour. The restrictions meant the system could lose connectivity with objects moving faster than the permitted speed.
Speaking in Mumbai on October 21, Rubio stressed that Starlink and Starshield were two distinct systems.
Starlink is a commercial satellite internet service that can also be used to control drones, he said. Starshield, by contrast, is a specialised defence product sold and operated through the US Department of Defense.
Rubio said he had not read a Wall Street Journal report claiming that Musk had ordered the system to be slowed down. He denied that Trump or other US officials had requested changes or been informed of the decision beforehand.
“Neither the president of the United States nor anyone in our government has ever asked for changes to be made to that system,” Rubio said.
He argued that the US government could not dictate how a private company managed a commercial product. However, he acknowledged that Starshield operated under different arrangements because it was purchased for government use.
Bipartisan pressure mounts for investigation
Democrats and some Republicans have called for investigations into the restrictions and the circumstances surrounding the decision.
Senator Adam Schiff said in a social media post that contradictory statements made a full Senate investigation necessary. He called for Musk to testify under oath.
Senator Ruben Gallego also urged Musk to explain the decision voluntarily.
Senator Chris Coons said Musk should not have the power to influence the outcome of a war “with the push of a button”. Senator Elizabeth Warren warned of the risks created when a private company executive effectively determines US foreign policy.
Democratic Representative Ami Bera said the slowdown had “paralysed Ukrainian defences and put innocent lives at risk”. He called on Congress to establish who authorised the decision and ensure those responsible were held accountable.
Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick has also called for an investigation.
Separately, a bipartisan group of nearly two dozen members of the House of Representatives has urged Trump to pressure Musk to allow Ukraine to use Starlink to strike Russian missile-launch positions inside Russian territory.
“If Ukraine cannot reliably intercept Russian ‘arrows’, it should be able to shoot the ‘archer’,” lawmakers wrote in a letter sent on October 21.
They argued that Ukraine should be able to destroy the missile-launch platforms used to attack its cities.
The controversy has intensified scrutiny of the role played by private technology companies in modern warfare and raised broader questions about Ukraine’s reliance on satellite infrastructure controlled by a commercial provider as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.
