Jamie Raskin And Robert Garcia Demand Elon Musk's SpaceX Transparency Over Alleged Use Of Starlink By Russia In Ukraine Conflict

Two House Democrats have initiated an investigation into SpaceX over Russia’s potential use of its Starlink satellite internet equipment in Ukraine.

What Happened: Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) have sent a letter to SpaceX, demanding transparency regarding the alleged illegal use of Starlink by Russia in Ukraine’s occupied territories, reported CNBC. The letter was sent to SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell on Mar. 6.

The letter also announced a probe by the Democratic House Committee into SpaceX’s procedures for preventing illegal exports and use of its Starlink equipment and services. This comes after reports of Russia’s use of Starlink during its invasion of Ukraine.

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, had initially received praise for providing Starlink terminals and internet service during Russia’s invasion. However, Musk later stated that Starlink was not intended for use in wars.

Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressed their displeasure with Musk’s statements. The Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) also reported evidence of Starlink use by Russian forces in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.

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Other elected officials have also called for transparency from SpaceX. In February, the bipartisan House China committee, led by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), demanded that U.S. troops in Taiwan be given access to SpaceX’s Starshield, a satellite communication network designed for the military.

Why It Matters: The investigation by House Democrats is the latest in a series of events involving SpaceX and its Starlink network.

In January, it was reported that Russian forces were attaching signal jammers to their tanks to disrupt the Starlink satellite communications, specifically to impede the operation of Ukrainian drones. This tactic forced Ukrainian military units to modify their tactics.

In February, Musk faced accusations of supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin due to the alleged use of Starlink by Russian forces in Ukraine and his call to his followers to lobby against a U.S. aid package for Ukraine.

However, Musk denied reports of SpaceX selling Starlink terminals to Russia, saying, “This is categorically false.” He added, “To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia.”

Despite these denials, the investigation by House Democrats suggests that the controversy surrounding the use of Starlink by Russia in Ukraine is far from over.

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