Overview

• Ukraine's military heavily relies on Starlink for battlefield communication, as traditional networks have been damaged by the ongoing conflict with Russia.
• The U.S. government, alongside Poland and other European countries, currently funds much of Ukraine's Starlink access, but recent U.S. aid suspension has raised concerns about its continuity.
• Eutelsat, which merged with Britain's OneWeb in 2023, offers a smaller satellite network but claims comparable capabilities in Europe for government and defense applications.
• Eutelsat's stock price has surged following speculation about its role in replacing Starlink, with the company stating it is ready to deploy additional equipment in Ukraine if needed.
• European initiatives like IRIS² and GOVSATCOM are being explored as long-term alternatives, but they remain years away from full operational readiness.