A recent slowdown in satellite internet service across Ukraine has highlighted the nation's profound reliance on Elon Musk's Starlink network while accelerating European efforts to build a military-grade alternative. The disruption temporarily impaired Kyiv’s capability to defend against Russian attacks and exposed critical vulnerabilities in relying on a private U.S. provider during a period of deteriorating diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Washington.
Starlink, along with its military-grade service Starshield, is owned by SpaceX and currently dominates the global satellite market. Ukrainian forces rely on Starlink for general battlefield communications and Starshield for military drone warfare. The ultra-fast, real-time connectivity provided by the constellation is essential for coordinating defense maneuvers and intercepting Russian strikes. Vincent Tourret, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, emphasized that high-speed internet connections are indispensable for carrying out effective drone warfare.
For frontline Ukrainian troops, reliable satellite connectivity is directly tied to survival on the battlefield. Speaking anonymously, one soldier warned that a complete shutdown of the network would be an absolute catastrophe, noting that the cost of an alternative is irrelevant when lives are on the line. Another soldier explained that Starlink provides a crucial operational edge when transferring commands, stating that gaining even one or two seconds when passing data and directives creates a decisive advantage during combat.
Although service was recently restored, questions remain regarding who authorized the temporary restrictions. A confusing blame game continues between Donald Trump, the Pentagon, and Elon Musk over who caused the slowdown. The incident prompted French Member of the European Parliament Christophe Grudler to tweet that Ukraine's defense capability cannot remain dependent on the whims of Trump or Musk.
Analysing the strategic dilemma, Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), explained that the slowdown laid bare the negative aspect of Ukraine's reliance. Bingen pointed out that Starlink represents a critical military capability that Ukrainian forces depend upon continuously, yet do not actually control.
While other satellite networks exist, experts and Ukrainian service members agree they lack the speed and flexibility of Starlink. The primary alternative available today is France's Eutelsat through its OneWeb service. However, Eutelsat maintains only about 600 active satellites in orbit, compared to more than 10,000 satellites operating in Starlink’s massive constellation.
Equipment design also creates significant operational constraints. Starlink connection terminals are small and lightweight, enabling them to be mounted on almost any military vehicle or drone. In contrast, Eutelsat terminals are larger, making them suitable for installation on car roofs or armored tanks, but impractical for small aerial drones. Former Eutelsat chief executive Eva Berneke added that Eutelsat terminals are roughly five times more expensive than Starlink hardware.
European officials are seeking long-term alternatives, but viable solutions remain years away. The European Union is developing Iris², a satellite constellation designed to rival Starlink, but the network will not be operational until 2029. In the short term, Ukraine's most viable option is joining Govsatcom, the EU's satellite-sharing network, though that service cannot be utilized for active combat operations like drone control.
The push for European satellite independence has intensified since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Berneke, who had been CEO at Eutelsat for just one month when the invasion began, noted a dramatic increase in urgency from European authorities seeking to plug potential operational gaps if Starlink could no longer be relied upon. She added that rhetoric from the White House, including Donald Trump's sharp criticism of NATO and threats regarding Greenland, sounded brutal alarm bells across Europe regarding dependence on external suppliers.
