WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of nine US senators has called for an investigation into disruptions to satellite systems supporting Ukraine's military as European officials rallied around Kyiv after President Donald Trump again attacked his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The senators, including Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D), Thom Tillis (R), Dick Durbin (D), Susan Collins (R), Jack Reed (D), John Cornyn (R), Chris Coons (D), Lisa Murkowski (R), and Richard Blumenthal (D), sent a letter to the Department of Defense inspector-general calling for an investigation into disruptions to SpaceX's Starshield satellite system, which is overseen by the US government.
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Uncertainty Over US Intelligence To Ukraine As Russia Pounds Kyiv"We write with grave concern regarding reported disruptions to critical US-supported communications and intelligence-sharing capabilities in Ukraine that have endangered American personnel and potentially compromised Ukraine’s ability to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks," the letter read.
The senators urged an immediate probe to determine whether any US officials "directed, authorized, approved, or had advance knowledge of changes to intelligence-sharing arrangements, warning capabilities, or Starlink and Starshield services affecting Ukraine."
Elon Musk's SpaceX owns the Starlink system. Musk wrote on X, which he also owns, that "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS (President Trump)."
Zelenskyy criticized the throttling of Starshield, telling the Financial Times in an interview published on October 15 that such a move was "dangerous."
He also said Ukraine would defy an "energy cease-fire" unilaterally imposed by Trump -- which neither Russia nor Ukraine officially confirmed -- over the weekend and resume attacks on Russian energy facilities because Moscow had not halted strikes on Ukrainian energy sites.
"We're done," Zelenskyy told the FT after saying Ukraine had halted strikes on Russian refining operations for three days.
In response, Trump, who recently eased sanctions on Russian diesel exports in an attempt to bring down fuel prices -- told the staunchly conservative US media outlet Newsmax on October 15 that peace between Russia and Ukraine would only be possible if Zelenskyy left office.
"Zelenskyy is not a good guy for us to deal with," he said in an interview.
"He doesn't want to settle. He says he wants to settle, but he doesn't. No, I'm not a big fan of Zelenskyy," Trump said, adding that he believes both leaders wanted peace but found Zelenskyy more difficult to negotiate with than his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
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Alexander Gray, chief executive officer of American Global Strategies, suggested that Zelenskyy should have delivered those messages to President Trump privately.
Speaking to RFE/RL on October 16, Gray said Zelenskyy should do so in a way that "doesn't make President Trump feel that he has to publicly counterpunch and create a cycle that does not serve Ukraine's interests."
He also argued that Zelenskyy's decision to resume strikes on Russian oil refineries posed a risk of creating a deeper rift between Kyiv and the Trump administration.
The sparing came as Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels for the second day of a summit of European Union leaders, where discussions are expected to focus on continued support for Ukraine, including protecting critical infrastructure ahead of winter.
Ahead of the talks, Zelenskyy said Ukraine's main priority was meeting its energy needs, while also noting the country requires additional air defense systems and funding for the rest of the year and 2027.
Speaking to reporters alongside Zelenskyy in Brussels on October 16, European Council President Antonio Costa reaffirmed that the EU's support for Ukraine was stronger than ever, stressing that this was no time to withdraw assistance or ease sanctions on Russia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added that the EU had supported Trump's proposed energy cease-fire but Russia had failed to respect it "for a single minute."
She added that EU sanctions would remain in place until Russia stopped the war.
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Zelenskyy Vows Refinery Strikes, Expresses Anger At US Intel DisruptionMeanwhile, overnight Russian attacks injured five people in Ukraine's central Cherkasy region, where a drone strike set fire to an apartment building in Uman, regional officials reported on October 16.
Lutsk, in Ukraine's Volyn region, was left without electricity following a Russian drone attack, according to city authorities.
Russian authorities said their defense forces had repelled a Ukrainian drone attack targeting heating infrastructure in the Vladimir region.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 94 Ukrainian drones had been shot down near the capital over period of eight hours, while four were downed over the Leningrad region, according to the regional governor.
All four Moscow airports were temporarily closed amid the drone attacks, with flights diverted to other cities, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency reported. An air raid alert was also declared in the Leningrad region.