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An order restricting Ukraine's use of the U.S.-controlled Starshield satellite communications system originated inside the White House, Reuters reported, citing two U.S. officials and a Western official briefed on the matter, as a bipartisan group of senators demanded an investigation into disruptions that may have endangered American personnel.
Pentagon leaders were instructed to slow SpaceX's Starshield service for the Ukrainian military, the officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The sources did not identify who inside the White House made the decision or who was responsible for implementing it.
A senior U.S. official denied that President Donald Trump personally ordered the restrictions.
"No such request was ever made by the president," the official told Reuters.
The White House did not respond to questions about whether another administration official had requested the restrictions.
Starshield is the military-grade version of SpaceX's Starlink system, developed specifically for U.S. government and national security customers. The Pentagon is its largest customer.
Ukrainian officials said military-grade Starlink receivers stopped functioning when mounted on fast-moving objects, disrupting drones that rely on satellite connectivity for onboard guidance while operating over Ukrainian territory.
A person in Ukraine's Defense Ministry told Reuters on Thursday that the receivers had begun working again while moving, but only at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 kph).
Ukrainian officials said the restrictions complicated strike missions against Russian forces and logistics in Russian-occupied territory.
They also slowed interceptor drones used by Ukraine to shoot down incoming Russian Shahed drones.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday that Starshield systems were owned and controlled by the U.S. government and that decisions to restrict their speed or use rested with the U.S. military or the president.
SpaceX did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. The Pentagon and Ukrainian Embassy in Washington also did not respond.
Meanwhile, nine U.S. senators from both parties called Thursday for an immediate Pentagon watchdog investigation into the reported Starshield disruptions, warning that the interruptions may have endangered American diplomatic, military and security personnel in Ukraine.
In a letter to Defense Department Inspector General Platte Moring III, the lawmakers asked whether U.S. officials approved or had advance knowledge of the reported restrictions.
They also sought to determine whether decisions by the Pentagon or its contractors contributed to the disruptions.
The letter was led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and signed by Sens. Thom Tillis, Dick Durbin, Susan Collins, Jack Reed, John Cornyn, Chris Coons, Lisa Murkowski and Richard Blumenthal.
The senators expressed particular concern about reports that American personnel had experienced difficulties reaching shelters during Russian air attacks because of interruptions to communications, intelligence-sharing and early-warning systems.
"We are particularly alarmed by incidents in which U.S. diplomatic, military, and security personnel were unable to reach designated bunkers during Russian air raids, amid reported disruptions to intelligence-sharing and early-warning capabilities," they wrote.
The lawmakers warned that interruptions to critical communications and warning systems in an active war zone could have life-threatening consequences.
They asked the inspector general to investigate whether the disruptions were preventable, whether the Pentagon had coordinated adequately with contractors and whether corrective measures were being implemented.
"The United States government has a fundamental obligation to protect American personnel serving overseas," they wrote.
"The possibility that American personnel were endangered by preventable disruptions, inadequate coordination, or decisions made by their own government demands immediate scrutiny and accountability," they added.
The lawmakers also raised concerns about reported restrictions on satellite services used by Ukrainian forces.
They said Ukraine previously had service arrangements that allowed unrestricted operating speeds and questioned the reported limitations.
"To use Starshield and Starlink as intended, Ukraine needs access to unlimited speeds, which was its service arrangement prior to this reported restriction," the senators wrote.
Starlink, SpaceX's broader satellite internet service, has played a significant role in maintaining connectivity for Ukrainian military forces and other users during Russia's war.
Starshield, by contrast, was developed specifically for government and national security applications.
The reported restrictions came as the Trump administration intensified pressure on Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Trump has accused Ukrainian strikes against Russian energy infrastructure of contributing to higher fuel prices, which have become a political concern for Republicans ahead of the November U.S. midterm elections.
Experts cited by Reuters, however, said the increase in global energy prices was driven primarily by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, including Iranian attacks on energy facilities and the effective closure of much of the Strait of Hormuz.
Relations between Washington and Kyiv have deteriorated further since an Oct. 9 meeting in Miami involving U.S., Ukrainian and European representatives, as well as the World Bank.
The reported White House directive and subsequent satellite disruptions have raised questions about whether Washington used Ukraine's dependence on U.S.-controlled military technology to pressure Kyiv over its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
The senators' request seeks to establish who authorized the restrictions, how they were implemented and whether the decisions placed American personnel at risk.
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