Ukraine plans independent satellite system as Starlink issues persist

What the report says

Ukraine says it will pursue an independent satellite communications system as problems with the United States-operated Starshield service continue to affect its military, according to Al Jazeera. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Kyiv has agreed to work with Finnish companies on the project, following a visit to Kyiv a day earlier by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

The reported partnership involves Nokia and ICEYE, and Ukrainian officials said a letter of intent was signed with the Defence Ministry. Zelenskyy said the cooperation would expand Ukraine’s access to Finnish satellite capabilities and support defence, logistics and the energy sector, which have been heavily targeted in Russia’s war.

Al Jazeera reported that Ukraine has been dealing with intermittent Starshield access problems, including signal loss and earlier disruptions that left military users scrambling. The article also noted that the issue has become politically sensitive amid strained relations between Kyiv and Washington, and questions over who ordered the restrictions. ICEYE said Ukraine needs a secure satellite system it controls, and that its satellites can provide reconnaissance data in all weather and at any time of day.

The development matters because satellite communications are now central to Ukraine’s battlefield coordination, drone operations and air defences. The reported move suggests Kyiv is seeking greater resilience and less dependence on a single foreign provider as Russian attacks continue.