Kaptur, Fitzpatrick, Quigley, Costa, Panetta, Kelly, Tillis, and Slotkin Urge Pentagon to Restore and Expand Starshield Access for Ukraine Press ReleaseUkraine says satellite[...]

Read in the Washington Post: Ukraine says satellite access still restricted despite Trump saying otherwise

Toledo, OH - Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05), Congressman Jim Costa (CA- 21), and Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), alongside US Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), urged Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Department of Defense (DoD) to expand its Starshield contract and restore Ukraine's access to Starlink and Starshield satellite communications following recent disruptions. They specifically called for renewing unlimited-speed service to ensure Ukraine has the capacity it needs. The lawmakers also pressed the DoD to evaluate its authorities under the Defense Production Act to guarantee continued, reliable access.

"Ukrainian forces depend on these services for command and control, intelligence sharing, battlefield communications, and the operation of unmanned systems," the lawmakers wrote. "Any degradation in service, including reduced connection speeds, restricted geographic coverage, or interruptions in access, undermines Ukraine's military effectiveness and provides Russian forces with an operational advantage that will extend the conflict and put more civilians in harm's way."

The lawmakers called on DoD to maintain the geographic coverage Ukraine needs for its lawful military operations, including over Russian territory, and to ensure any transition from commercial Starlink to government-contracted Starshield happens without interruption: "Decisions regarding service availability, coverage, and performance should not be left solely to the discretion of a private provider when they have direct consequences for Ukraine's ability to defend itself."

In addition, the lawmakers urged DoD to evaluate its authorities under Title I of the Defense Production Act, which allows the federal government to require companies to give priority to government orders: "These authorities should be considered alongside existing contractual mechanisms to ensure that Ukraine maintains reliable access to the bandwidth, service levels, and geographic coverage required for its lawful military operations."

"The United States and Europe have made significant investments in Ukraine's defense because of how a Russian victory would put our security at risk. Those investments should not be undermined by preventable disruptions to the communications infrastructure on which Ukrainian forces depend," the lawmakers concluded.

Click here to read the full text of the letter.

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