Sudden US Satellite Cuts Hurt Ukraine’s Defense. Investigate and Restore Service

As your constituent, I urge you to call for a congressional inquiry into the sudden restrictions on military satellite services the United States provides to Ukraine and to press for their full restoration. Restoration should not wait for the inquiry to finish. UKRAINE LOST VITAL CONNECTIONS WITHOUT WARNING The United States pays SpaceX to provide Ukraine with Starshield, a military satellite internet service. These connections help troops communicate and control drones, including drones that shoot down Russian attack drones. Ukrainian officials reported that, overnight on October 14, equipment moving faster than about 100 miles per hour began losing its satellite connection. These connection failures disrupted drone missions, and Ukraine says it received no advance warning. Some service was restored, but officials continued to report a speed limit. Partial restoration is not enough if drones still lose vital connections. WEAKENING UKRAINE HELPS RUSSIA These restrictions may mark a major shift in Trump administration policy from supporting Ukraine to favoring Russia. Russia benefits when Ukraine cannot stop incoming drones or complete military missions. Congress must establish whether this was an intentional change in policy. This is a gift to Putin. Seeking peace does not justify weakening the country under attack while the invader keeps firing. A YouGov poll conducted October 14 found that 57% of American adults sympathized more with Ukraine, versus 4% with Russia. A shift toward Russia would run against that public preference. CONGRESS MUST FIND OUT WHO ORDERED THE CHANGE Musk says the United States government controls the limits on Starshield, the military service. Congress should obtain records showing who ordered the restrictions and why Ukraine was not warned. Congress should also investigate missing warnings before Russian missile attacks. Warnings reportedly arrived for later attacks. Trump says intelligence sharing continues. A complete cutoff has not been established, but gaps in lifesaving warnings need an explanation. RESTORE SERVICES NOW AND INVESTIGATE THE DISRUPTIONS (1) PRESS FOR IMMEDIATE, FULL RESTORATION. Urge the administration to work with SpaceX and Ukraine to remove the new restrictions and confirm that full service is restored. Ensure that missile warnings and other lifesaving intelligence continue without interruption. (2) OPEN AN URGENT INQUIRY. Seek hearings, testimony, and records from administration officials and SpaceX. Establish who authorized the restrictions, their reasons, the harm caused, and whether government contracts and congressional notice requirements were followed. Investigate the missile-warning gaps separately. (3) REQUIRE A PUBLIC EXPLANATION AND SAFEGUARDS. Seek public findings, protecting classified details, and a plan to prevent another unannounced disruption. Congress should ensure that assistance it funds remains available for its intended purpose. Thank you.