In letter to SpaceX, lawmakers express concern over possible Russian use of Starlink

March 7 (UPI) -- In a letter to SpaceX, congressional lawmakers Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Jamie Rashkin, D-Md., expressed concern over the Russian military's alleged use of Starlink systems.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has rebuked claims that the Russian military uses Starlink but the Ukrainian government says Russian forces have used the system.

"SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk publicity stated that '[t]o the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia,'" the representatives wrote in a letter to Gwynne Shotwell, chief operating officer of SpaceX. "However, according to Ukraine, the misuse of Starlink terminals is 'systemic' raising additional questions about the efficacy of your company's safeguards and compliance with U.S. sanctions and export controls."

In 2023, Musk was accused of shutting down Starlink coverage to prevent a Ukranian military operation against Russian military targets in occupied Crimea.

The lawmakers said they were concerned that the company "may not have the appropriate guardrails and policies in place to ensure your technology is neither acquired directly or indirectly, nor used illegally by Russia."

"Russian procurement of, use of, or interference with Starlink terminals has the potential to advance the goals of Russia's illegal and brutally lethal invasion of Ukraine," the representatives said in a press release Thursday.