FT: Europe scrambles to fill Starlink’s void in Ukraine amid rising tensions

Europe is scrambling to secure alternatives to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network for Ukraine, following the US withdrawal of military aid and intelligence sharing earlier this week.

Four major satellite operators — Luxembourg's SES, Spain's Hisdesat, Viasat (which owns the UK’s Inmarsat), and France’s Eutelsat/OneWeb — have confirmed to the Financial Times that they are in talks with European governments and EU institutions to explore backup connectivity solutions for Ukraine, per Caliber.Az.

However, replicating the widespread use of the laptop-sized Starlink terminals, which are integral to Ukraine’s defense, remains a formidable challenge. Over 40,000 terminals are currently in use by Ukraine's military, hospitals, businesses, and aid organizations, according to Ukrainian Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Hisdesat CEO Miguel Ángel García Primo stated that his company had been contacted by several European officials, saying, “We are part of this initiative.” He noted that the tensions sparked by the recent Oval Office confrontation between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prompted immediate discussions on whether the EU could step in with alternatives.

European leaders rallied behind Zelenskyy at a summit in Brussels, pledging to boost their defense capabilities. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also met with German counterpart Boris Pistorius in Berlin to discuss the possibility of a European backup to Starlink.

Zelenskyy is set to hold talks with the US next week on finding a resolution to the war, but there are concerns that the loss of access to Starlink could be leveraged to pressure Kyiv into accepting an unfavorable peace deal.

Starlink’s speed and reliability have made it a crucial tool in the ongoing conflict. Ukrainian forces rely on it for real-time video feeds that direct artillery and drone strikes from command posts often located in basements and hidden areas. Additionally, Starlink is less vulnerable to Russian jamming devices compared to traditional radio communications, as noted by Ukrainian military expert Pavlo Narozhny.

However, the service has faced disruptions, particularly near the frontlines. One drone operator near the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a key battleground, reported, “It’s been like that for a while now.”

In the short term, a mix of European satellite services may serve as a backup, covering government communications and internet access for critical infrastructure like hospitals, energy plants, and cities. However, experts argue that it’s unlikely that any new service could match the volume of Starlink terminals, which have been accumulated over years. García Primo remarked, “It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to deploy the same number of terminals Starlink already has.”

Lluc Palerm Serra, Research Director at space consultancy Analysys Mason, explained, “There are alternatives, but none that can offer the same level of supply that Starlink does.” Even if all European capacity were pooled, it would still fall short of Starlink’s extensive coverage.

Starlink operates more than 7,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, offering consistent coverage across the globe. The speed of signals between Earth and Starlink satellites is faster than that of rival networks relying on fewer satellites in higher orbits. While this speed difference is minimal, it can affect certain applications requiring low latency.

SES, which already provides satellite services to Ukraine, confirmed it is in discussions about increasing its capacity. CEO Adel Al-Saleh said, “Recent events have amplified the conversations we’ve had about an alternative for several months.”

Viasat, another major player, expressed confidence in meeting Ukraine’s needs. A company spokesperson stated, “We have the capacity and capabilities to assist and are glad to do what we can to help address this critical security matter in Ukraine and Europe.”

Lawmakers in the European Parliament are urging the EU Commission to expedite the implementation of the “Govsatcom” initiative, which aims to pool existing secure satellite capacities from member states. A Commission spokesperson noted, “Govsatcom can address the immediate secure connectivity needs through pooled member states’ satellite capacities.”

In another development, Maxar Technologies, the leading provider of commercial satellite imagery to the US government, suspended its services to Ukraine this week at Washington’s request. However, Maxar’s head of international division, Anders Linder, indicated that the company may find ways to continue assisting Ukraine, saying, “Our commercial customers, who are all US partners and allies, can use the data however they see fit, including sharing it with Ukraine.”

Many in Europe see the current crisis as a catalyst for the creation of a European-owned satellite network. The €10.6 billion Iris² project, intended to build a multi-orbit broadband network, has gained urgency but will not be operational until 2030. This delay has spurred discussions on how to address the immediate need for connectivity, with some experts suggesting the scale of the project may be re-evaluated in light of current events.

Serra concluded, “Europe is rethinking everything related to defence right now, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they review the scale of Iris².”

By Tamilla Hasanova