Media: EU seeks alternative satellite solutions for Ukraine amid Starlink uncertainty

The European Commission is exploring ways to assist Ukraine in securing satellite communication capacity following reports that Elon Musk may pull Kyiv’s access to his Starlink network.

Space-based communication systems have become vital for Ukraine, but uncertainty remains over whether Musk will continue to provide access to Starlink as the conflict progresses, Caliber.Az reports via Politico.

Ukraine reported having around 42,000 Starlink terminals in operation last year, with approximately half funded by Poland.

A Commission spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, stated that Ukraine had already expressed interest in utilising Govsatcom – a pooled network of the EU’s national government satellite capacities – as well as IRIS², a new constellation set to become operational in the 2030s. "The Commission will pursue its contacts with Ukraine in that regard," Regnier said.

Earlier this week, Christophe Grudler, a French Renew MEP, urged the EU executive to urgently assess alternative satellite solutions that could be offered to Ukraine instead of Starlink. Grudler suggested fast-tracking the deployment of Govsatcom by bypassing the certification process as a temporary solution while IRIS² is developed.

Regnier confirmed that the system would offer Ukraine "precursor governmental services," though he did not clarify the exact nature of these services or when they might be operational.

Other alternatives under consideration include sourcing commercial satellite capacity from Eutelsat, Hispasat, or SES satellites already in geostationary orbit, or from the OneWeb constellation.

By Aghakazim Guliyev