Democrats launch probe into claims Russia used Elon Musk's Starlink in its war against against Ukraine, raising a 'serious threat to US national security'

House Democrats are probing allegations that Russia has used Elon Musk's Starlink internet service on the battlefield in Ukraine, warning it could raise US national security concerns.

In a Wednesday letter to SpaceX, which runs Starlink, two Democrats on the House Oversight Committee demanded information about Russia's potential illegal acquisition of the satellite-enabled terminals, according to the Washington Post. 

The letter cited recent allegations from Ukrainian intelligence officials, who say that Russian troops are using Starlink terminals to coordinate war efforts in eastern Ukraine, in potential violation of US sanctions.

Russia's alleged use of Starlink 'poses a serious threat to Ukraine's security, Ukrainian lives, and US national security,' stated the letter from Reps. Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia.

'We are concerned that you may not have appropriate guardrails and policies in place,' Raskin and Garcia wrote in the letter to Starlink president Gwynne Shotwell. 

House Democrats are probing allegations that Russia has used Elon Musk's Starlink internet service on the battlefield

A Ukrainian soldier sets up a Starlink terminal. Ukraine relies heavily on Starlink for military and civilian communications

A representative for SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Thursday morning. 

Last month, Ukraine's military intelligence chief publicly alleged that Russian troops in Ukraine are using thousands of Starlink satellite communications terminals.

Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov told the Wall Street Journal that Russian troops have been communicating over the Starlink system 'for quite a long time'.

He said they had acquired the terminals from private Russian firms that purchased them from intermediaries, potentially evading US sanctions limiting the export of technology with military applications.

The intermediaries, he said, deliver the equipment to Russia through neighboring countries, including former Soviet Republics.

Budanov's agency also told Reuters that Russian troops were communicating over Starlink on their front lines, but did not disclose the extent to which the terminals were in use.

Ukraine relies extensively on Starlink, saying last year that around 42,000 terminals were in use by the military, hospitals, businesses and aid organizations, with the Pentagon helping to fund access for Ukrainian forces.

Starlink has said it does not do any business in or with Russia. 

Ukraine's Aerorozvidka unit can direct drones from a laptop using the Starlink system

The company did not respond to an email earlier this week asking whether it could categorically rule out the system's use by Russian troops in Ukraine.

Retired British Army Brigadier Ben Barry told Reuters that if Russian forces are using Starlink, their communications would be more secure and harder for Ukraine and its allies to crack. 

The Kremlin has denied using Starlink on the battlefield, saying the terminals are not approved for use by the Russian military.

In a call with reporters last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'This is not a certified system with us; accordingly, it cannot be officially supplied here and is not officially supplied. Accordingly, it cannot be used officially in any way.'

'That is why here, perhaps, we should not intrude into the discussion between the Kyiv regime and the entrepreneur Musk', he said, referring to the Ukrainian government. 

Musk issued his own denial in a post on X, saying: 'To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia.'

'A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia,' Musk said in the post on X, which he also owns. 'This is categorically false.'