US lawmakers seek probe into Starlink disruption

Washington: Senior Republican lawmakers have called for a congressional investigation into disruptions affecting satellite communications used by Ukrainian forces, warning that unexplained restrictions on the American-supported system could endanger lives and undermine Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian attacks.

Congressman Mike Turner of Ohio and Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said Sunday that Washington must establish who was responsible for the disruption involving Starlink and its military-related capabilities, including Starshield.

Their demands came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said satellite services had not been fully restored and suggested that restrictions were imposed following instructions from the American government.

Turner, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, rejected the administration's explanation that the disruption had occurred without an explicit government order.

"Absolutely not," Turner told CBS's Face the Nation when asked whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio's explanation was sufficient.

"I mean, this is something where there needs to be an investigation. There needs to be a congressional investigation," he said.

Rubio had said that no one at the White House ordered Starlink speeds to be reduced.

"We had nothing to do with that. I don't, not the United States, nobody ordered that Starlink speed to be slowed down. It sort of happened," Rubio said in remarks played during the CBS programme.

He added that his understanding was that the service had been restored.

Turner said disruptions involving military assistance, intelligence and communications required greater accountability.

"We need to find out who these people are, because lives are at risk and lives are lost over these things," he said.

The congressman said reports from Ukraine suggested that satellite access remained inconsistent, with services restored in some areas but not others.

He stressed that the affected capabilities were being used by Ukrainian forces defending their own territory against Russian military operations.

"This is essential to the United States' support of Ukraine in defending real aggressive attacks by Russia within Ukraine," Turner said.

He called for the service to be completely restored. Cramer, who recently visited Ukraine and met Zelensky, separately supported an investigation into the disruption.

Speaking on the same CBS programme, he said investigators needed to determine whether the interruption resulted from a deliberate decision or a technical problem.

"It may very well have been some sort of a technical glitch. I don't know for sure or whose call it was," Cramer said.

"So far, nobody's taking credit for making that call or the blame for it."

He said Congress could investigate the matter, while an inspector general inquiry was another possibility.

Cramer referred to efforts by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis to seek an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the interruption.

"Certainly Congress itself could and should investigate," he said.

The senator said restoring satellite services was the immediate priority, alongside expanding Ukraine's ability to target Russian military launch facilities.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, appearing separately on NBC's Meet the Press, rejected Zelensky's suggestion that the administration had ordered the restrictions.

"President Trump and Secretary Rubio have categorically said that no one in the Trump administration did that," Bessent said.

He described the Ukrainian leader's allegation as reckless.

Starlink, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has provided satellite internet connectivity to Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

The network has supported communications in areas where conventional infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Starshield is a separate SpaceX programme designed for government and national security applications.