Europe Has No Starlink Replacement as Ukraine Faces Satellite Disruptions

Europe cannot replace Starlink anytime soon, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned Friday, as disruptions to Elon Musk’s satellite network raised concerns over Ukraine’s battlefield communications.

“Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine and unfortunately in the short term Europe can’t replace this capability,” Kallas told reporters ahead of an EU summit attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine relies on Starlink and its military-grade counterpart, Starshield, for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russian-occupied territory and interceptor drones used to shoot down Russian attack drones.

Starlink’s satellite network is unmatched in scale, while its business model and portable, affordable terminals give it a major advantage over competitors that rely on bulkier, more expensive equipment.

Kyiv reported restrictions on military Starlink connections this week, with Ukrainian officials reporting slower speeds on some terminals on Wednesday. Musk said any disruption was the responsibility of the US government, not his SpaceX company.

Europe scrambles for alternatives

Kallas said the European Defence Agency had mapped the critical military capabilities Europe lacks and must develop.

“We need to fill these gaps as soon as possible,” she said.

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs acknowledged that Europe was not yet equipped to provide a full alternative.

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“Starlink is the key for Ukraine actually to fight or fight back,” he told reporters on Friday, according to AFP. Europe has some comparable capabilities, but not enough to meet Ukraine’s needs.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten told AFP he had discussed the issue with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, focusing on how European countries could provide more satellite communications services in the near future.

EU eyes satellite backup

The European Commission is negotiating Ukraine’s participation in GOVSATCOM, an EU program that pools satellite resources to provide secure communications for government users.

“We are currently in talks with Ukraine to fully associate Ukraine to GOVSATCOM,” Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said Wednesday.

The system could give Kyiv another way to maintain secure communications during Russian attacks on infrastructure and disruptions to conventional networks. But Brussels has yet to confirm whether it can match Starlink’s capabilities for combat operations.

The EU could add commercial satellite services as early as 2027, potentially helping meet military needs, Regnier said. Its longer-term plan, the IRIS² constellation of more than 300 satellites, is expected to become fully operational in 2029.

Until then, Ukraine remains heavily reliant on Starlink – and Europe has no immediate replacement for a system critical to its war effort.

Why Ukraine needs another option

The European discussions have gained urgency after restrictions detected overnight on Oct. 13–14 disrupted Ukrainian drone operations.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry sources said units received no advance warning and reported connections dropping at different movement speeds, approximately 72 to 161 kilometers per hour.

The ministry contacted the United States, SpaceX and NATO partners while checking backup communications channels.

The disruption affected interceptor and medium-range strike drones, alongside reconnaissance, logistics and communications relay missions.

The reported speed limits concern how fast a terminal is moving, rather than its internet download speed.

Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Wednesday evening that connectivity at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour was being restored, while calling for Starshield’s speed restriction to be removed entirely.

That partial restoration does not resolve every operational requirement. Two Ukrainian officials told RFE/RL that connections had improved below the threshold, but restrictions continued to complicate interception of Russia’s jet-powered drones.

One Ukrainian source said operating speeds needed to reach at least 450 kilometers per hour.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused those responsible of deliberately restricting the service during Russian attacks, saying the disruption weakened Ukraine’s defenses and endangered civilians. Who authorized the restrictions remains disputed.

Musk said Starshield systems are controlled by the US government and that their operational limits are determined by the US military and ultimately the president. A senior White House official, however, told Axios that the Trump administration was not involved.

Why switching networks will take time

According to Reuters, Europe has no ready-made replacement that Ukrainian troops can immediately attach to their drones.

Eutelsat already provides connectivity in Ukraine through its low Earth orbit and geostationary networks.

But independent satellite consultant Christian Freiherr von der Ropp told Reuters that OneWeb faces capacity and performance constraints, while terminal cost, weight, size and power consumption limit frontline suitability.

Switching would also require replacing thousands of terminals: Starlink equipment uses proprietary technology and cannot simply connect to OneWeb.

European political pressure to develop alternatives is growing. In a statement on Thursday, Oct. 15, Renew Europe President Valérie Hayer urged EU leaders to strengthen support for Ukraine and address dependence on American satellite services.

“Recent days have also shown the urgent need for a European alternative to Starlink,” she said.

Russia races to build its own Starlink

Russia could deploy an alternative to Starlink across the front line within a year, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi warned in May.

Russia’s main project is Rassvet, developed by Russian company Bureau 1440. The company launched 16 spacecraft in March 2026, while six Rassvet satellites were in orbit at the time, according to Russian media outlet Kommersant.

Despite the limited constellation, Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi reported that the satellites’ regular passes over Ukraine could provide usable coverage for some frontline applications. However, Rassvet remains far behind Starlink in scale and established operational capability.

Russian troops have also relied on alternative equipment, including terminals referred to as “Gazprom.” In an intercepted conversation published by Kyiv Post in February, a Russian serviceman dismissed one such terminal as “f**king shit.”

Starlink operates more than 7,800 satellites, while Russia is still building its network. Moscow’s ability to expand Rassvet and improve its terminals could nevertheless become a growing concern for Ukraine, particularly as both sides depend increasingly on satellite connectivity to control drones and coordinate battlefield operations.