Pentagon watchdog tells lawmakers it won't investigate Starlink slowdowns to Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon's watchdog is refusing a bipartisan request to investigate recent disruptions to Starlink and Starshield satellite internet service to Ukraine, raising concerns among lawmakers that the military and even its independent inspector general are reluctant to confront the influence that SpaceX chief Elon Musk has over defense communications.

A bipartisan group of senators asked the Pentagon inspector general to investigate after Ukrainian officials reported this month that their connection speeds were being throttled to the Musk-made Starlink service and its military-grade version, Starshield. They are critical to Ukraine’s wartime connectivity , and officials there said the restrictions impeded the ability to intercept fast-moving Russian attack drones.

In a response dated Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press, the Pentagon watchdog told the group of nine lawmakers — four Republicans and five Democrats — that their concerns are better answered by the Air Force.

That is being seen as the inspector general's refusal to investigate Musk and Starlink, despite being well-positioned to do so, according to a congressional aide familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue.

“It is concerning that the Inspector General has apparently decided not to investigate satellite communication disruptions that Ukraine relies on to protect its civilians,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who signed the initial letter, said in a statement to the AP.

Shaheen added that “the Trump Administration and SpaceX have provided conflicting accounts of what led to those disruptions” and that “there must be an independent accounting and review to determine responsibility and prevent this from happening in the future.”

The lack of answers raises questions about the amount of power that Musk, an ally of President Donald Trump, has over the critical communication system. The congressional aide said concerns on Capitol Hill over Musk’s control of Starlink go back years and were part of the reason for the creation of Starshield, the military-facing version.

When asked about the slowdown, the Trump administration has offered confusing and at times contradictory explanations for who was behind the decision.

Musk acknowledged this past weekend that SpaceX had throttled Starlink in Ukraine, accusing the country of violating its terms of service, which Ukrainian officials denied. But Musk maintained that the U.S. government controlled whatever changes happened with Starshield. Trump has said he didn’t order any restrictions, while Vice President JD Vance has hinted at White House coordination with Musk.

When asked about the investigative decision, a spokeswoman for the inspector general's office, Mollie Halpern, said the watchdog “carefully considered the congressional request and determined that the matters raised were best addressed by the Department,” referring to the Pentagon.

“Should new information come to light, we may reconsider,” Halpern added.

The Pentagon referred a request for comment to the inspector general's office, while the Air Force did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Both have previously declined to answer questions on the throttling of Ukraine’s satellite internet access.

The nine lawmakers had asked the Pentagon inspector general to investigate whether any Pentagon or other U.S. government officials “directed, authorized, approved, or had advance knowledge of changes to intelligence-sharing arrangements, warning capabilities, or Starlink and Starshield services affecting Ukraine.”

The congressional aide said lawmakers need answers to two key questions: whether any U.S. government officials were involved and whether Musk was exploiting a loophole in the system. Those answers would help inform future oversight efforts and legislation, the aide said.

The interruption is not the first time that Musk has interfered with Ukraine's Starlink connection. In 2022, in the early days of the conflict, Musk ordered a Starlink blackout in regions like Kherson and Donetsk, saying he was concerned about potential Russian escalation.

Following the Starlink slowdowns this month, Finnish satellite company Iceye announced it was partnering with telecommunications company Nokia and the Ukrainian defense ministry to explore cooperation in space, “particularly in building sovereign satellite communications.”