In brief: US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis demanded Thursday, Nov. 12, that the Trump administration and SpaceX immediately restore Ukraine’s Starshield satellite communications capabilities following reports of renewed restrictions. The bipartisan lawmakers called for congressional oversight, warning that disruptions were weakening Ukraine’s defenses against Russian drones. Zelensky also raised the issue with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Two senior US senators demanded Thursday, Nov. 12, that the Trump administration and SpaceX immediately restore Ukraine’s Starshield satellite capabilities, warning that renewed restrictions were crippling Kyiv’s ability to intercept Russian drones and endangering civilians and American personnel.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) called for congressional oversight to determine who authorized the disruptions.
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“It is outrageous that, just weeks after service was restored, Ukrainian officials are once again reporting restrictions on Starshield, crippling Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian drones across the front line,” the senators said in a joint statement.
They challenged Washington’s approach to peace negotiations as Russia continued attacking Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure.
“At a time when the Trump Administration claims to be working toward peace, it is impossible to understand how undermining Ukraine’s ability to defend itself gets us closer to that goal,” they said.
Senators demand immediate restoration and accountability
Shaheen and Tillis said Ukraine’s military had identified the latest disruptions as systematic restrictions rather than technical failures.
“SpaceX has yet to offer any explanation for these latest disruptions,” they said.
“The Trump Administration and SpaceX must restore these capabilities immediately,” the senators demanded.
They stressed that Ukraine was participating in peace negotiations while Russia continued targeting civilians, citing an attack on a Kremenchuk facility serving children with special needs and the reported killing of 55 civilians seeking humanitarian aid.
“Ukraine is negotiating in good faith to end this war. Russia has shown no such good faith,” they said.
The lawmakers demanded that the Pentagon and SpaceX preserve relevant records and provide Congress with contracts and communications identifying who authorized the restrictions.
“Congress must determine who ordered or approved these disruptions and hold those responsible accountable,” they said.
“A just and lasting peace requires pressure on Putin, not cutting off Ukraine’s defenses.”
Zelensky warns Russian drones are getting through
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Starshield restrictions had again imposed a speed limit of 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour) on systems operating in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, preventing interceptor drones from effectively pursuing Russian jet-powered Shaheds.
“Because of the speed restrictions, we simply cannot catch up with them in time,” Zelensky said during a European summit in Dublin.
He warned that Ukrainian aircraft could not safely operate near the front line, making high-speed interceptor drones essential to defending against Russian attacks.
“This means more Russian strikes get through, and more of our people are killed – our civilians are killed by Russia,” he said.
Zelensky said Kyiv had received little explanation from Washington and questioned whether the restrictions effectively treated Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory as outside Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“If someone in America is making decisions that basically treat Ukrainian territory as if it is not Ukrainian, then this tells us where things are going,” he warned.
Zelensky, Rutte discuss Starshield disruptions
Zelensky also raised the disruptions with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Dublin, warning that they were compounding Ukraine’s shortage of air defense missiles.
According to the Ukrainian presidency, the leaders discussed restoring reliable communications and securing additional Patriot interceptor missiles.
Zelensky said Russia had launched 115 missiles, thousands of guided aerial bombs and jet-powered Shahed drones during the first week of November alone.
He warned that Starshield restrictions were further weakening Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian attacks.
“Artificial restrictions do not serve peace – they serve the aggressor,” Zelensky said.
He thanked Rutte for efforts to secure additional PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot systems.
SpaceX denies restrictions as Congress demands investigation
SpaceX denied imposing renewed restrictions, telling Axios: “This is false. There has been no change.”
The denial contradicts Ukrainian officials’ reports of systematic speed limits affecting frontline drone operations.
Starshield, SpaceX’s military satellite communications service, supports Ukraine’s reconnaissance, drone operations and air defenses through US government arrangements.
The controversy follows similar disruptions reported in October.
On Oct. 15, Shaheen and Tillis led a bipartisan group of nine senators seeking a Pentagon inspector general investigation into Starshield and Starlink restrictions.
The inspector general declined to open an investigation, referring the matter to the Defense Department instead.
“A just and lasting peace requires pressure on Putin, not cutting off Ukraine’s defenses,” Shaheen and Tillis said.
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