9 Senators Demand Probe of Ukraine Starshield Disruptions, Citing Trump Administration Role
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 15
9 Senators Demand Probe of Ukraine Starshield Disruptions, Citing Trump Administration Role
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 15
Summary
Nine bipartisan senators asked the Pentagon inspector general to investigate disruptions to Ukraine’s satellite communications and intelligence-sharing systems, including temporary limits on the Pentagon-funded Starshield network.
The lawmakers said the outages weakened Ukraine’s defenses against Russian missiles and drones and may have endangered U.S. diplomatic, military and security personnel during air raids.
Ukrainian military officials said Wednesday they lost critical access without warning, and a U.S. official in Ukraine said the sudden throttling disrupted drones and aircraft used for air defense.
The letter, led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen and signed by four Republicans, seeks to determine whether the Trump administration or its contractors were responsible and whether similar disruptions could recur.