{"id":17885,"date":"2026-10-16T09:26:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T01:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=17885"},"modified":"2026-10-16T09:26:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T01:26:30","slug":"questions-flare-over-us-role-in-ukraines-starlink-shut-off-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=17885","title":{"rendered":"Questions flare over US role in Ukraine\u2019s Starlink shut-off: What to know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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On Wednesday, Elon Musk\u2019s Starlink was pulled into the center of a controversy after Ukraine\u2019s military faced restricted access to Starshield, the military version of the satellite-based system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starlink services were cut off for objects that traveled more than 100 mph, impacting the capabilities of Ukraine\u2019s drones, airplanes and helicopters, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an interview Wednesday with Piers Morgan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the loss of access a \u201cbig mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople will die, of course, if attacks will continue and if Starlink will not work \u2026 it\u2019s not helpful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senators demand answers and accountability
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) publicly called on Musk to explain the loss of fast data speeds that Ukraine needs for its military operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a social media post Wednesday, the North Carolina senator asked Musk for assurances on whether the disruptions to Starlink were unintended and that SpaceX is trying to fix the glitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tillis further warned \u201cintentionally degrading Ukraine\u2019s ability to defend itself might be construed as aiding and abetting a mass murderer,\u201d referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In another post late Wednesday, Tillis said he will be asking the Pentagon\u2019s inspector general to start an investigation and report back to Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe latest reporting suggests this strategic snafu may have occurred more locally within DOD Starshield systems, not with Starlink or SpaceX,\u201d he wrote in his post, referring to the Department of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt best, this was an unacceptable error or lapse, and at worst a conscience decision to clear the field for a Russian attack,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who played a major part in passing a tough new Russia sanctions bill, took to social platform X on Wednesday to demand accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReports of Starlink failing in Ukraine are deeply alarming\u2014 potentially crippling air defense against Russia\u2019s murderous missiles & drones. Trump & Musk must be held accountable,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musk says the decision is up to the president
As confusion erupted, the SpaceX CEO said Wednesday that the decisions to restrict the speed or usage of Starlink\u2019s Starshield are made by the U.S. military and, ultimately, the president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStarshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,\u201d Musk wrote in a comment on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStarlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine\u2019s former minister of defense, said Wednesday afternoon that the country\u2019s connectivity with Starlink was being restored at speeds of up to 160 km per hour. He thanked Musk for the returned speed and wrote, \u201cWe hope for your continued support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warnings from House Republican
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), an Air Force veteran, said the recent moves, including reports that the U.S. has stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv, are helping an invader, referring to Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Administration\u2019s decision to reduce intel sharing to Ukraine & access to Starlink equates to aiding the invader & the war criminal who bombs cities,\u201d Bacon wrote in a post on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoes the Administration think it will get ANY support for the remainder of the 119th Congress? Their agenda is dead unless they change paths,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday, Elon Musk\u2019s Starlink was pulled into the center of a controversy after Ukraine\u2019s military faced restricted access to Starshield, the military version of the satellite-based system. Starlink services were cut off for objects that traveled more than 100 mph, impacting the capabilities of Ukraine\u2019s drones, airplanes and helicopters, a source familiar with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":17886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[4434,1837,4435],"class_list":["post-17885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-starlink","tag-ukraine","tag-wednesday"],"yoast_head":"\nQuestions flare over US role in Ukraine\u2019s Starlink shut-off: What to know - LISTEN WORLD<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=17885\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Questions flare over US role in Ukraine\u2019s Starlink shut-off: What to know - LISTEN WORLD\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On Wednesday, Elon Musk\u2019s Starlink was pulled into the center of a controversy after Ukraine\u2019s military faced restricted access to Starshield, the military version of the satellite-based system. 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