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The Pentagon's inspector general has turned down a request from a bipartisan group of senators to investigate reported slowdowns of the Starlink satellite service provided to Ukraine's military, according to a document seen by The Associated Press.

The request was refused on the grounds that a review would be better handled by the US Air Force, the document said. A congressional aide familiar with the matter argued the inspector general's office has the authority to run such a probe but did not want to open an examination of SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk.

Senators sought review of service changes

Nine senators from both the Republican and Democratic parties had asked the Pentagon's inspector general to examine whether Pentagon officials or other US government officials directed, approved or were informed in advance of "changes to intelligence-sharing arrangements, warning capabilities or Starlink and Starshield services affecting Ukraine," the report said.

Shaheen calls the decision worrying

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, one of the lawmakers who submitted the request, told AP that "it is concerning that the inspector general has chosen not to investigate outages in the satellite communications system that Ukraine relies on to protect its civilians."

Shaheen said the administration of US President Donald Trump and Musk had given conflicting accounts of what caused the outages and slowdowns, and called for an independent review and assessment to establish responsibility and prevent similar incidents in the future.

Dispute over Starlink performance in Ukraine

US media reports alleged that Musk had ordered the internet service supplied to Ukraine's military through the Starlink satellite system he owns to be slowed down.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Starlink had not been fully shut down in Ukraine, but that speed restrictions limited its use for some military and humanitarian purposes.

Trump said he had "heard" that problems with Starshield, the military version of the Starlink system used by Ukraine's armed forces, had been "resolved," and that he would "talk to" Musk if they had not.

Key takeaways

• The Pentagon inspector general rejected a bipartisan Senate request to investigate Starlink slowdowns affecting Ukraine, according to a document seen by AP.
• The refusal was justified on the grounds that the US Air Force would be the more appropriate body to conduct such a review.
• A congressional aide said the inspector general has the authority to investigate but did not want to examine SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
• Senator Jeanne Shaheen called the decision concerning and urged an independent review to establish responsibility.