By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Pentagon\u2019s watchdog is refusing a bipartisan request to investigate recent disruptions to Starlink<\/a> and Starshield satellite internet service to Ukraine, raising concerns among lawmakers that the military and even its independent inspector general are reluctant to confront the influence that SpaceX chief Elon Musk has over defense communications.<\/p>\n A bipartisan group of senators asked<\/a> the Pentagon inspector general to investigate after Ukrainian officials reported this month that their connection speeds were being throttled to the Musk-made Starlink service and its military-grade version, Starshield. They are critical to Ukraine\u2019s wartime connectivity<\/a>, and officials there said the restrictions impeded the ability to intercept<\/a> fast-moving Russian attack drones.<\/p>\n In a response dated Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press, the Pentagon watchdog told the group of nine lawmakers \u2014 four Republicans and five Democrats \u2014 that their concerns are better answered by the Air Force.<\/p>\n That is being seen as the inspector general\u2019s refusal to investigate Musk and Starlink, despite being well-positioned to do so, according to a congressional aide familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is concerning that the Inspector General has apparently decided not to investigate satellite communication disruptions that Ukraine relies on to protect its civilians,\u201d Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who signed the initial letter, said in a statement to the AP.<\/p>\n Shaheen added that \u201cthe Trump Administration and SpaceX have provided conflicting accounts of what led to those disruptions\u201d and that \u201cthere must be an independent accounting and review to determine responsibility and prevent this from happening in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n The lack of answers raises questions about the amount of power that Musk, an ally of President Donald Trump, has over the critical communication system. The congressional aide said concerns on Capitol Hill over Musk\u2019s control of Starlink go back years and were part of the reason for the creation of Starshield, the military-facing version.<\/p>\n Questions abound about who authorized the slowdown<\/p>\n When asked about the slowdown, the Trump administration has offered confusing and at times contradictory<\/a> explanations for who was behind the decision.<\/p>\n Musk acknowledged this past weekend that SpaceX had throttled Starlink<\/a> in Ukraine, accusing the country of violating its terms of service, which Ukrainian officials denied. But Musk maintained that the U.S. government controlled whatever changes happened with Starshield. Trump has said he didn\u2019t order any restrictions, while Vice President JD Vance has hinted at White House coordination with Musk.<\/p>\n When asked about the investigative decision, a spokeswoman for the inspector general\u2019s office, Mollie Halpern, said the watchdog \u201ccarefully considered the congressional request and determined that the matters raised were best addressed by the Department,\u201d referring to the Pentagon.<\/p>\n \u201cShould new information come to light, we may reconsider,\u201d Halpern added.<\/p>\n The Pentagon referred a request for comment to the inspector general\u2019s office, while the Air Force did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Both have previously declined to answer questions on the throttling of Ukraine\u2019s satellite internet access.<\/p>\n