FALLING STARLINK?

Dems Probe Musk’s SpaceX Over Russia’s Alleged Starlink Use

House Dems are worried that the “appropriate guardrails and policies” might not be in place.

House Democrats are investigating SpaceX to determine whether the company built adequate defenses in its Starlink technology to keep Russia from using it in its war against Ukraine. In a letter obtained by The Washington Post, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) demanded SpaceX disclose complaints about potential illegal seizures of Starlink terminals, which they said “poses a serious threat to Ukraine’s security, Ukrainian lives, and U.S. national security.” They cited Ukrainian intelligence reports that Russia had used some Starlink terminals in occupied regions of eastern Ukraine. The internet service provider, owned by Elon Musk, has been vital to Ukrainian army coordination and communication—strategic planning advantages that Russia could easily seize with the technology. “We are concerned that you may not have appropriate guardrails and policies in place,” Raskin and Garcia wrote, adding that Russia’s usage raises doubts about SpaceX’s “safeguards and compliance with U.S. sanctions.” Musk responded on X: “To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia.”