Democrats have called on Musk to preserve SpaceX documents regarding Starlink restrictions in Ukraine, according to the WSJ

Members of Congress are demanding that the CEO of SpaceX preserve the documentation, according to The Wall Street Journal.

What are the Democrats saying?

Democratic senators sent Musk a letter asking him to preserve all records related to SpaceX’s restrictions on Ukraine’s use of its Starlink and Starshield satellite services. In January, when both chambers of Congress come under their control, lawmakers plan to launch an investigation into the actions of Elon Musk and SpaceX.

The letter notes that on Thursday, November 12, Kyiv again faced restrictions on Starshield’s operations. Slowdowns in Starlink service were also recorded from October 13 to 24, which limited the Ukrainian military’s ability to conduct operations, including defense against Russian drones. which limited the Ukrainian military’s ability to conduct operations, particularly defense against Russian drones.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that it was Musk himself who ordered the restrictions on Starlink’s operations. SpaceX denies that it slowed down the systems for Kyiv.

The October and November restrictions now raise the alarming possibility that these vulnerabilities persist even in systems relied upon by the U.S. government, 
wrote Senators Jean Shaheen and Chris Coons.

A SpaceX spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Some of Ukraine’s military equipment, including UAVs and interceptors, requires a Starlink connection to operate effectively. Speed restrictions significantly limit their ability to strike Russian targets and defend against attacks.

In their letter, Shaheen and Coons emphasized that SpaceX’s restrictions on Ukraine raise questions about the billionaire-owned company’s control over national security communication channels. The lawmakers called on Musk to clarify whether anyone outside of SpaceX authorized the restrictions. The letter also demands the release of certain SpaceX documents dating back to September 1. This includes all communications related to Starlink and Starshield in Ukraine, as well as correspondence between Musk, SpaceX executives, the White House, and the Pentagon.

What is known about the new restrictions?

As a reminder, the Ukrainian military has already faced “ disruptions in the operation of a specialized military system ” that lasted from October 13 to 24. At that time, The White House and SpaceX passed the blame back and forth blamed each other for the restrictions.

On Thursday, November 12, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that, following reports from the command, it was determined that communication was being lost not due to technical malfunctions, but as a result of artificial speed limits. He emphasized that this helps the aggressor kill more Ukrainians.

At the same time, Sources at 24 Channel within the Ministry of Defense reported that restrictions are in effect along the entire front line and in the temporarily occupied territories. As of November 13, the speed of traffic did not exceed 161 kilometers per hour.