House Democrats opened an investigation of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, examining whether the company implemented adequate safeguards to prevent Russia from deploying its Starlink satellite internet service in its war against Ukraine.
Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) sent a letter Wednesday night demanding that the company report complaints about potential illegal acquisitions of Starlink terminals, including in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. The lawmakers said they were alarmed by Ukrainian intelligence officials’ allegations that Russian forces deployed the company’s terminals in eastern Ukraine, potentially running afoul of U.S. sanctions.
The lawmakers warned SpaceX’s president, Gwynne Shotwell, that Russia’s alleged use of Starlink “poses a serious threat to Ukraine’s security, Ukrainian lives, and U.S. national security”
