Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) said Monday he will press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the loss of access to Starshield, the military-grade satellite internet service, and warned that any U.S. officials who restricted its use will face congressional scrutiny and severe budget consequences.
In a social media post, Fitzpatrick said he would speak with Zelensky and his team later this week to discuss Starshield, President Trump's decision to waive sanctions on Russia, and other defense matters. "I will be assuring President Zelenskyy that anyone who attempts to limit the use of Starshield for Ukraine will be fully investigated and will be held fully accountable, to include public congressional oversight hearings, and immediate harsh and punitive budget cuts to any responsible agency or agency head," he wrote.
Ukraine reported on Wednesday that it suddenly lost access to Starshield and also experienced disruptions with Starlink, the commercial satellite internet service operated by SpaceX. The outage hampered Ukrainian military operations, including drone control and battlefield communications. According to reports, the Trump administration had threatened to cut off intelligence and weapons support after Kyiv criticized Trump's surprise deal to import Russian diesel.
Fitzpatrick last week called the slowdown of both services a "major problem" and said Congress would respond if the United States abandons its support for Ukraine. He reiterated that stance on Monday, saying Congress "will unequivocally reaffirm that Ukraine is an indispensable ally to the United States, that Russia is a self-declared enemy of the United States, and that the United States will 100% support and defend the people of Ukraine in their fight for their own freedom against this brutal, illegal, and unprovoked Russian invasion."
President Trump and SpaceX owner Elon Musk have both denied any role in the outage. However, during a Monday call with a bipartisan group of senators, Zelensky said Ukraine still lacks full access to Starshield and U.S. intelligence sharing. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who participated in the call, said senators from both parties are preparing to act swiftly to signal their displeasure over the administration's failure to provide Kyiv with the same level of connectivity and intelligence it had at the start of October.
Ukraine has also accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of deliberately delaying the transfer of a critical batch of Patriot interceptor missiles. Fitzpatrick called on the U.S. to supply all necessary defensive equipment and reiterated his opposition to importing Russian oil. "Sanctions against the Russian regime must be harsher and stronger than they've ever been before," he wrote. "Each and every one of these items will be brought to the House Floor—and each and every one of these items will pass on the House Floor by an overwhelming margin."
Fitzpatrick has been a vocal advocate for Ukraine, previously warning of congressional consequences if the U.S. abandons Kyiv. He has also introduced legislation to block Russian oil imports, a measure that aligns with his current demands.
The Starshield outage has raised concerns about the reliability of U.S. support for Ukraine, with some lawmakers calling for immediate action to restore full access. The situation remains fluid as Congress prepares to hold hearings and consider budget measures to ensure accountability.
