Starlink probe: Pentagon inspector general passes it to Air Force

The Pentagon’s watchdog has turned down a Starlink probe, even though nine senators asked for an investigation into disruptions in Ukraine.

The office of the Inspector General told the lawmakers that the Pentagon and the Air Force should handle their concerns instead.

What the Starlink probe request asked

Dated October 15, the letter carried the names of four Republican and five Democratic senators. They wrote that they “urgently request an Inspector General investigation” into the incidents.

Lawmakers wanted to know whether actions or decisions by the Defense Department or its contractors contributed to the dangerous situation. They also asked whether officials issued directives or permissions for changes, or knew about them in advance.

A congressional aide said lawmakers want to learn whether government officials took part in the restrictions. The aide added that they also want to know whether Elon Musk used a loophole in the system.

Why the Starlink probe stalled

Their reply reached the senators on October 27. However, it offered no investigation. Spokeswoman Mollie Halpern said the office had carefully considered the request and decided the issues were best addressed by the Department.

“Should new information come to light, we may reconsider,” she added. Air Force officials did not reply at once to a request for comment.

An aide familiar with the situation read the answer as a refusal to look into Musk and Starlink. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat who signed the letter, called the decision concerning.

Because of that, she noted that the Trump administration and SpaceX have given conflicting accounts of what caused the disruptions. In her view, the public needs an independent review, since Ukraine relies on satellite links to protect its civilians.

What happened in Ukraine

Trouble began on October 14, when SpaceX suddenly capped speeds on the military version of the service, Starshield. Ukraine uses both commercial Starlink terminals and the military version widely.

Ukrainian forces noticed the limit during the night of October 13 to 14. Also, terminals lost connection when they moved at a certain speed.

No one has accepted responsibility for the decision. Musk said SpaceX capped Starlink speeds because of service-term violations. Starshield changes, however, belong to the government, he said.

Donald Trump said he gave no order for the restrictions. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance hinted that the White House and Musk had worked together. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied any administration role.

Pressure on Musk and the White House

Those limits came amid tension between Kyiv and the White House. Trump had demanded an end to Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. He had also struck an arrangement with Vladimir Putin on buying Russian diesel.

On October 21, Trump ordered Musk to lift the restrictions, a newspaper reported. It said the president felt frustrated that speeds stayed capped at around 160 kilometres an hour.

On October 23, another bipartisan group of senators wrote to Musk. They noted that SpaceX had to follow legal duties to give shareholders and the public information.

For now, the Starlink probe will not go ahead through the watchdog, and the senators’ questions remain unanswered. Because the Starlink probe is off the table, the Air Force may now take up the matter.