Rep. Turner calls for congressional probe into Starlink disruption in Ukraine: “Lives are at risk”

October 18, 2026 / 2:43 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — GOP Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio on Sunday called for a congressional investigation into disruptions in Ukraine to satellite communications with Starlink, the technology owned by SpaceX's Elon Musk.

"There needs to be an investigation, we need to find out who these people are because lives are at risk and lives are lost over these things," Turner said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."

Last week, Ukrainian officials began reporting experiencing difficulties with the satellite communication system, which is used for communication and to control drones, prompting questions about who was behind the slowdown. President Trump said on Friday he had not limited Ukraine's access to Starlink, adding he didn't believe Musk was responsible either. On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the administration had "nothing to do with that." Rubio said no one ordered the Starlink speed to be slowed, claiming it "sort of happened," while adding that it had been restored.

Turner said the explanation wasn't sufficient.

"This is something where there needs to be an investigation, there needs to be a congressional investigation," Turner said Sunday. "We need to find out…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/