Republican Congressman Mike Turner of Ohio called on October 18, 2026 for a congressional investigation into the slowdown of Starlink service in Ukraine, saying the disruption to the satellite network put Ukrainian lives at risk during active combat against Russian forces.
Turner made the remarks on CBS News' “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” according to a transcript published by CBS News. He sits on the Armed Services Committee and is running in Ohio's competitive Senate race, one of several battleground contests, including Iowa's, that will help decide control of the chamber in November.
Turner: “Absolutely not” a sufficient explanation
Host Margaret Brennan played a clip of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said on October 17 that no one at the White House ordered the Starlink slowdown and that the reduced speed “sort of happened,” though service had since been restored.
Asked whether that answer was sufficient for members of the Armed Services Committee, Turner did not mince words.
Absolutely not. I mean, this is something where there needs to be an investigation. There needs to be a congressional investigation.
Turner said the Starlink episode fits a pattern of unexplained disruptions in U.S. support for Ukraine, including delayed weapons shipments, money that never arrives, and broken intelligence sharing.
“We need to find out who these people are because lives are at risk and lives are lost over these things,” Turner said.
What happened to Starlink service in Ukraine?
Ukraine's military relies on SpaceX's Starlink for battlefield communications and drone operations. Turner noted that the Institute for the Study of War and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy both reported on October 18 that restoration of service remained spotty, with some areas back online and others still cut off.
Turner distinguished between Starlink, Elon Musk's commercial enterprise, and Starshield, the U.S. military contract that the policy decision designated for Ukraine's defense within its own territory. He argued that the disruption to Starshield violated an established U.S. policy of supporting Ukraine's self-defense.
“This is essential to the United States support of Ukraine in defending real aggressive attacks by Russia within Ukraine, and this needs to be restored,” Turner said.
Brennan pressed on the question of accountability, noting that the Pentagon and Musk have pointed fingers at each other over who controls the system.
Turner pressures Trump on Russia sanctions deadline
The interview also covered President Donald Trump's decision to waive, at least temporarily, sanctions authorized under the Lindsey Graham bill that Congress passed to punish buyers of Russian oil. Turner voted for the bill, and the waiver came as an October 18 deadline expired for the president to either impose or waive sanctions in three categories: Russian government individuals, Russia itself, and governments doing business with Russia.
Turner said he would encourage the president to impose the sanctions and noted that the waiver preserves daily authority to apply them in whole or in part, a point he said Secretary Rubio confirmed.
“That bill being in place is important. It's a legacy of Lindsey Graham,” Turner said.
Asked whether he would withhold votes on Trump's agenda items in the lame-duck session, as Representatives Don Bacon, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Mike McCaul have suggested, Turner declined to commit to brinksmanship. He said discussions on the waivers need to happen first.
Iowa angle: Hinson distances on Russia diesel deal
The broadcast opened with a montage of Republicans in competitive races positioning themselves independently of the president, including Iowa's own Representative Ashley Hinson, who is running for Senate.
“We need to lower gas prices in this country. We need to lower diesel prices, but I don't think we need to be making a deal with Russia to do it,” Hinson said in the clip.
Brennan noted that Iowa, along with Minnesota, Michigan, Maine, and Ohio, features a competitive Senate or gubernatorial race this year, and that Republicans in those contests have been creating distance from Trump on issues including tariffs, energy prices, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The full guest lineup for the October 18 broadcast, which also included Democratic Iowa gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand, was reported by