How Deeply Ukraine Relies on Starlink, and Whether Europe Can Plug the Gap

Ukraine is in desperate need of a new satellite internet service, but a fast and reliable alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink network simply does not exist yet. Last week's sudden slowdown of the service in Ukraine, which affected Kyiv's ability to defend itself from Russian attacks, has shown how vulnerable the country can be, and has sharply increased Europe's urgency to have its own military-grade satellite network.

There are a few alternatives, but they are all lagging behind Starlink, the world's largest satellite constellation. France's Eutelsat, with its OneWeb internet service, is the main alternative — but it has only about 600 active satellites, compared with Starlink's 10,000-plus.

The EU is working on a new network to rival Starlink, Iris², however it will not be up and running until 2029.

For Ukraine's troops on the ground, several of whom spoke anonymously, reliable connectivity is the difference between life and death. One said that, God forbid, if they shut it off completely it would be an absolute catastrophe, and that he does not care how much an alternative costs when lives are on the line.

For now, Ukraine's best bet is to join Govsatcom, the EU's satellite sharing network — but it cannot be used for military warfare like controlling drones.

That vulnerability was highlighted by Musk himself on Saturday, when he accused Ukraine of violating Starlink's terms of service by using it for drone strikes to kill people. Saying that loophole was closed last week, he wrote that violation of those terms will result in end of service. He added that were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately.

Starlink and its military-grade service, Starshield, are both owned by Musk's SpaceX company and have dominated the global satellite market for years. Ukraine relies on Starlink for communications on the battlefield and on Starshield for military purposes like drone warfare. The network can provide fast, real-time connectivity, which is crucial for defence and intercepting Russian attacks.

Vincent Tourret, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, said drone warfare cannot be employed without this kind of high-speed internet connection. Last week's slowdown, which has only just been restored, highlighted the risks of relying on a US provider at a time when tensions between Kyiv and Washington continue to deteriorate.

French MEP Christophe Grudler wrote that Ukraine's defence cannot depend on Trump's or Musk's whims. Who authorised the Starlink restrictions is still not clear, with a confusing blame-game ongoing between the Pentagon, Donald Trump and Musk.

Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS, explained that while Starlink has been one of Ukraine's greatest assets in this conflict, the flipside of that dependence has been exposed. This is a critical military capability that Ukraine relies on, but does not control.

The terminals used to connect to the satellites are also an important factor. Starlink's are relatively small and lightweight, so they can be fixed to any kind of vehicle or drone. Eva Berneke, former CEO of the French satellite company, said Eutelsat's terminals are slightly larger, so they can be fitted on the roof of a car or on tanks, but they cannot necessarily sit on small drones. They are also about five times more expensive, she added.

A spokesperson for the European Commission said Europe has realised its security depends on space, and it must strengthen its satellite capacities urgently. Right now, it has Govsatcom, a network set up in January to share existing satellites between EU member states. Ukraine is not a full-fledged member, although it is trying to become one, but the Commission is in talks with Kyiv to join Govsatcom.

But even if Ukraine could connect tomorrow, the network could not be used for warfare operations like piloting drones, which Starshield is used for. That could change by the start of next year, however, when the European Commission hopes commercial companies, like Eutelsat's OneWeb, will join the programme.