U.S. Republican Rep. Mike Turner calls for a congressional investigation after Ukrainian forces temporarily lose access to, or experience reduced performance from, SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communications. Turner raises the issue following reports of a slowdown that affected Starlink and Starshield connectivity used in Ukraine’s drone operations.
Turner makes the request during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” where he is asked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s explanation. Rubio says no U.S. government order caused the disruption, and that the outage “sort of happened.” Turner argues that account is not sufficient for lawmakers on relevant oversight committees and says the matter needs investigation.
Different outlets emphasize different aspects of Turner’s remarks—some focus on the need to investigate the loss of access, while others highlight speed limits or slowdowns attributed to Starlink/Starshield. All describe Turner as pushing for formal congressional review of what caused the temporary communications disruption and its impact on Ukrainian operations.
