WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2026
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should testify before the Senate about Starlink limitations that disrupted Ukrainian military operations. Schiff said that if Democrats regain control of the Senate, Hegseth should be brought in, along with anyone with knowledge of what happened.
Conflicting accounts
Schiff pointed to the differing explanations from President Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Musk ordered the slowdown of Starshield, the military version of Starlink. Musk said Saturday that SpaceX restricted the service because Kyiv violated Starlink’s terms of service. Trump has repeatedly denied ordering the disruption.
“Somebody is lying here,” Schiff said. He also said “something changed within the last week” and asked what it was. He called it a threat to national security that a private citizen could affect military operations.
What happened in Ukraine
Zelensky said terminals lost their connection above roughly 161 km/h, which meant drones were lost. Zelensky said the speed restrictions hurt front-line logistics and defense against jet-powered Shahed drones. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that Starlink and Starshield speeds had returned to normal, with readings above 400 km/h.
Disputed justification
Musk wrote that Ukraine’s military violated the terms of service by using the commercial service for offensive drone strikes. A Zelensky adviser disputed that, saying existing restrictions already prevented such use. Hegseth told reporters earlier in the week that “we haven’t pulled anything back.”
Other lawmakers weigh in
A group of Silicon Valley House Democrats asked the White House to investigate who ordered the throttling. Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Betty McCollum wrote to Hegseth seeking information. A bipartisan group of lawmakers also urged the Pentagon to expand its Starshield arrangements so Ukraine has uninterrupted satellite communications.
What’s next
Schiff’s call depends on a change in Senate control, so no hearing is scheduled. Who ordered the slowdown remains disputed.
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