Tillis, Colleagues Call for Investigation Into Starlink Disruptions in Ukraine

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group (SNOG), led a bipartisan group of seven Senators in a letter to Department of Defense’s Inspector General, Platte B. Moring III, calling for an investigation into the disruption of the U.S.-maintained Starshield systems for Ukrainian partners.
“We are particularly alarmed by incidents in which U.S. diplomatic, military, and security personnel were unable to reach designated bunkers during Russian air raids, amid reported disruptions to intelligence-sharing and early-warning capabilities. We urgently request an Inspector General investigation into these incidents, including whether actions or decisions by the Department of Defense or its contractors contributed to these dangerous circumstances,” the Senators wrote. “To use Starshield and Starlink as intended, Ukraine needs access to unlimited speeds, which was its service arrangement prior to this reported restriction. We understand that at least some relevant services are provided through contractual arrangements administered by the U.S. Space Force. Any restrictions on these capabilities, particularly without advance notification, raise serious questions about the Department of Defense’s contractual oversight and its responsibility to ensure continuity of essential services,” the Senator continued. “The United States government has a fundamental obligation to protect American personnel serving overseas. Disruptions to critical intelligence-sharing, threat-warning, or communications capabilities in an active war zone can have life-threatening consequences. The possibility that American personnel were endangered by preventable disruptions, inadequate coordination, or decisions made by their own government demands immediate scrutiny and accountability,” the Senators concluded.
The full list of Senators on the letter include Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
The full text of the letter is available HERE .
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