Ukraine wants a European Starlink. Europe already has an alternative, but is it enough?

Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, confirmed that Ukraine is conducting discussions on developing a European alternative to Starlink. He stressed that European countries must possess their own satellite communications capabilities and that Kyiv has already established a timetable for the project.

This comes after restrictions affecting the American Starshield system, particularly communications with drones travelling at speeds above 160 km/h. The situation has demonstrated how quickly operational capabilities can be affected by decisions taken by a commercial provider. Satellite communications are essential for military command, intelligence gathering, coordination between units and the operation of unmanned systems.

Europe already has OneWeb

The most realistic European alternative is currently Eutelsat OneWeb, which operates approximately 600 satellites in low Earth orbit. The network is supported by French and British government investment and already provides services in Ukraine, where thousands of terminals are operating. According to Reuters, Eutelsat’s chief executive confirmed that the company’s available satellite capacity in Ukraine has already been fully contracted.

This is particularly important because it demonstrates that European technology is already available, but expanding it to meet the requirements of the Ukrainian armed forces will require substantial additional investment.

The problem is scale. Starlink operates a much larger satellite constellation, supported by extensive production capabilities, widespread availability of terminals and years of practical experience on the Ukrainian battlefield. OneWeb cannot currently offer an identical service. Its terminals are more expensive, while the available network capacity remains significantly smaller.

Replacing American equipment would also require changes to the communications infrastructure already used by Ukrainian units. Europe has the technology, but it does not yet possess the capacity to replace Starlink across the Ukrainian armed forces. For Kyiv, the immediate objective should therefore be to introduce alternative communications channels without disrupting existing military operations.

European satellite independence

The European Union is also developing its own satellite communications infrastructure. GOVSATCOM became operational in January 2026 and provides secure communications for authorised governmental and military users by combining existing European satellite resources. Importantly, on 9 March the Council of the EU authorised negotiations on Ukraine’s participation in GOVSATCOM and access to future European secure connectivity services. Brussels is therefore already working on a formal mechanism that could allow Ukraine to use European-controlled satellite capabilities.

Another important programme is IRIS², the future European satellite constellation intended to provide secure communications independently of American commercial operators. In August 2026, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium agreed to expand the programme to 348 satellites, with the first launches planned for 2029. The programme involves European companies, including Eutelsat, SES and Hispasat, and places particular emphasis on governmental and defence communications.

However, the first launches in 2029 will not mean that Europe immediately possesses a fully operational equivalent of Starlink. Building the constellation, expanding ground infrastructure and supplying military users will take additional time.

The recent restrictions affecting Starshield have exposed a vulnerability that extends far beyond Ukraine. European armies need secure satellite networks capable of maintaining communications during military operations, including in an environment affected by electronic warfare and attacks on ground infrastructure.

France, the United Kingdom and the European Union already possess important capabilities, but these must be expanded and integrated with military systems. For Ukraine, additional OneWeb capacity and access to GOVSATCOM could provide more immediate options, while IRIS² remains a longer-term programme. Ukraine needs capabilities during the current war, not only at the end of the decade.