Musk Faces Calls for US Congressional Probe Over Alleged Order to Throttle Ukraine Starlink Speeds

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of SpaceX, is facing mounting calls in Washington for answers after reports said he directly ordered limits on the speed of the Starlink satellite internet service used by Ukrainian forces.

Bloomberg reported on Oct. 20, citing the Wall Street Journal, that a recent slowdown in Starlink communications in Ukraine followed instructions from Musk, according to US government officials and others cited by the newspaper. The limits reportedly disrupted Ukrainian military operations that relied on drones for both defense and attack.

The Journal said Musk discussed the issue with Trump administration officials before the restrictions on Starlink became public. After the slowdown was disclosed, he also discussed the matter with President Donald Trump, the newspaper reported.

The allegations emerged as the Trump administration pressed Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil-refining facilities. Trump has recently blamed Ukraine for rising diesel prices and urged Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Earlier in October, he announced that he had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on supplies of Russian diesel to the US and international markets.

Democratic lawmakers said the Starlink restrictions affected Ukraine's military operations and called for a formal congressional investigation. Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, criticized Musk and Trump. Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat, called for an official inquiry by Congress.

Schiff said any decision to limit Starlink speeds and access was a grave matter that could determine whether Ukrainians live or die. He said the Senate should open a full investigation and that Musk should appear before Congress to testify under oath. The Pentagon declined to comment on the report. A Defense Department official had previously said there had been no change in US policy toward Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a Bloomberg interview on Oct. 18 that Trump was trying to force Ukraine to surrender to Russia. Still, after meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo, Norway, on Oct. 20, he struck a more positive tone on bilateral talks, saying the two sides had discussed intelligence sharing and access to Starlink.