Pentagon Watchdog Declines to Investigate Starlink Outages in Ukraine

The Pentagon's inspector general's office has declined to investigate outages in Starlink and its military version, Starshield, in Ukraine. The office cited that the questions would be better directed to the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. Ukrainian military officials reported encountering restrictions on Starshield connectivity, which dropped when drones exceeded speeds of 160 kilometers per hour. The cause of the restrictions remains unclear, with both Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump denying involvement. Musk accused the Ukrainian military of violating Starlink's terms of service, claiming the service was used for offensive drone strikes. The Ukrainian military has not commented on the allegations. The decision not to investigate has raised concerns among lawmakers, with Senator Jeanne Shaheen stating that it is 'concerning' that the inspector general has declined to investigate satellite communication disruptions that Ukraine relies on to protect its civilians.