Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons have sent an official letter to billionaire Elon Musk demanding the preservation of all SpaceX documents and records related to the restrictions imposed in October and November 2026 on Ukraine's use of Starlink and Starshield satellite services. RBC-Ukraine reports this citing The Wall Street Journal, which managed to review the text of the lawmakers' appeal. The letter contains a direct instruction not to destroy or modify corporate records starting from September 1, 2026, including all correspondence concerning the operation of satellite systems for Ukraine.
Chronology of Outages and Their Impact on Combat Operations
The senators' appeal clearly records the periods when Starlink and Starshield services operated in a restricted mode: from October 13 to 24, as well as on November 12, 2026. According to the lawmakers, these very disruptions hindered military operations by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Shaheen and Coons emphasize that «the restrictions introduced in October and November raise the disturbing possibility that these vulnerabilities will persist even in systems relied upon by the U.S. government.» Thus, the senators link a private corporate incident to broader national security issues.
Demands for Transparency and the Circle of Individuals Who Authorized the Restrictions
A key element of the letter is the criticism of «opacity in the decision-making process» within SpaceX. The senators directly ask Musk whether anyone outside the company — specifically representatives of the White House or the Pentagon — authorized the introduction of restrictions. In response, the lawmakers demand the provision of a significant portion of internal documents, including direct correspondence between Musk, SpaceX executives, and U.S. administration officials. The deadline for fulfilling the requirements and answering specific oversight questions has been set for November 30, 2026.
Context: Trump's Phone Call and the Resهission of the Previous Decision
The Wall Street Journal notes that back in October 2026, Musk ordered Starlink to be throttled for Ukraine, but subsequently U.S. President Donald Trump personally called him and asked him to reverse that decision. According to the publication, this episode became one of the factors that prompted Democratic senators to initiate a formal oversight demand. The senators view the fact of telephone contact between the head of state and the head of a private company that determines the availability of critical satellite infrastructure for an ally as an additional argument in favor of complete documentation.
Prospects for Investigation After the Shift in Control of Congress
WSJ also reports that in January 2027, when Democrats plan to take control of Congress, they intend to launch a series of investigations into the Trump administration's actions regarding Ukraine. The letter from Shaheen and Coons is essentially a preparatory step: preserving documents from September 1, 2026, will ensure future committees have access to primary materials. For Musk and SpaceX, this means that corporate correspondence, which under normal circumstances might have been restricted by internal regulations, is now under the jurisdiction of congressional oversight.
