Nine US senators, led by Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis, called on the Defense Department’s inspector general, Platte Moring III, to investigate the disruption of Starshield systems in Ukraine.

According to reports cited by the senators, speed restrictions imposed on SpaceX’s Starlink terminals between October 12 and 14, 2026, disrupted critical communications capabilities supporting Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The senators said they were alarmed by incidents in which US diplomatic, military and security personnel were unable to reach designated bunkers during Russian air raids, and want to determine whether any US government officials directed, authorized, approved or had advance knowledge of the changes.