U.S. Congress examines Russia's alleged Starlink use

Members of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress have 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.

That's according to The Washington Post, Ukrinform reports.

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.

Lawmakers expressed concern over claims by Ukrainian intelligence that Russian forces had placed SpaceX terminals in eastern Ukraine in violation 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."

"We are concerned that you may not have appropriate guardrails and policies in place," Raskin and Garcia wrote in a letter.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine earlier confirmed Russia's increased use of Starlink terminals at the front. According to intelligence, an interception of the invaders' conversation shows that for access to the internet, Starlink terminals were installed in the units of the 83rd Air Assault Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, operating in the Donetsk region near Klishchiivka and Andriivka.

Elon Musk later said that SpaceX had not sold any Starlink terminals to Russia.