Senators Ask Musk to Preserve Ukraine Starlink and Starshield Records

Two U.S. senators want Elon Musk and SpaceX to hold onto records about Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield, with a November 30 deadline to explain how service restrictions were handled.

Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons sent the request on November 13, a day after Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported renewed Starshield disruptions. SpaceX denied any change to the service.

The senators say the reported restrictions put Ukrainian air defences and American personnel at risk. They want a paper trail showing who made the decisions, what SpaceX was told and how the company responded.

What SpaceX is being asked to keep

The preservation request covers contracts, network logs, configuration changes and communications with the White House and Pentagon, dating back to September 1, 2026. It also includes company business conducted on personal devices and encrypted messaging apps.

Shaheen and Coons are seeking a timeline of restrictions and restorations, details of any risk assessments, and an explanation of which limits remain in place. They want written answers and confirmation that preservation measures are in place by November 30.

SpaceX disputes the latest claims

Zelenskyy said equipment travelling above about 100 mph was losing connectivity, hampering drones used to intercept Russian attacks. The speed at issue is how fast the equipment is moving, rather than how quickly it downloads data.

SpaceX’s response on November 12 was blunt: “This is false. There has been no change.”

The dispute follows a similar episode in October. On October 24, Zelenskyy said Starlink and Starshield had returned to their previous operating speeds. During that earlier dispute, Musk said the U.S. government controlled Starshield and set its limits.

Starshield is SpaceX’s government-focused service, built using Starlink technology. Who can change its operating limits is central to the senators’ oversight request, as they weigh whether government contracts need stronger safeguards.