The Pentagon's inspector general has declined to investigate disruptions of Starlink and Starshield services in Ukraine, informing lawmakers that the issue is a contractual matter best handled by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.
Platte Moring, who leads the independent watchdog office, stated that his office is not best suited to provide answers regarding the recent disruptions. Both the Air Force and Space Force have jurisdiction over the U.S. military's contract with SpaceX, the provider of Starlink.
The disruptions had drawn widespread criticism as Ukraine faced increased Russian attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had suggested the limits on the satellite network were a decision made by the U.S. government. U.S. and Ukrainian officials have since confirmed that services have been restored to normal.
"The Office of Inspector General carefully considered the congressional request and determined that the matters raised were best addressed by the Department. Should new information come to light, we may reconsider," said Mollie Halpern, spokesperson for the DOD Inspector General, in a statement.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat who was part of a bipartisan group of nine senators requesting the inquiry, expressed concern over the inspector general's decision. "The Trump Administration and SpaceX have provided conflicting accounts of what led to those disruptions, which weakened Ukraine's defenses and put American personnel in Ukraine at risk unnecessarily," Shaheen said in a statement. "There must be an independent accounting and review to determine responsibility and prevent this from happening in the future. I urge the Inspector General to conduct a full investigation."
Initially, the Pentagon's inspector general had suggested that questions about the service interruptions be directed to the Defense Department's under secretary for policy. That office, in turn, informed the inspector general that the reported disruptions were a contractual matter better addressed by the two military services.