Ukraine signed seven agreements with Finland, including deals to expand Kyiv’s use of Finnish satellite capabilities through Nokia and ICEYE after recent Starlink disruptions exposed how much of the country’s defense hinges on a single private provider that can restrict service with no prior warning.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the agreements in a statement on Thursday, Oct. 22, after holding discussions with the government of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The package includes new support for Ukraine across several sectors, including railway and energy, as well as agreements opening further areas of cooperation between the two countries.
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“We agreed that we will make greater use of Finland’s satellite capabilities,” Zelensky said. “This is important for our defense and for Ukraine’s resilience.”
The total estimated value of today’s agreements is €300 million (roughly $337 million).
Europe looks beyond Starlink
The agreements with Finland come as Ukraine and its European partners search for alternatives to Starlink, the satellite service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Overnight on Oct. 13-14, speed restrictions were imposed on Starlink terminals without prior warning, crippling Ukraine’s drone operations. The limits disrupted several types of drones Ukraine uses to defend itself against Russian attacks, including interceptor drones deployed against jet-powered Shaheds.
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The connectivity was lost on terminals moving at roughly 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour) or faster, while Ukraine needed the operating speeds to reach at least 450 kilometers per hour (280 miles per hour).
The restrictions coincided with a reported week-long suspension of US intelligence sharing, which left Kyiv without allied warnings of Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Zelensky has accused those responsible of deliberately restricting the service during Russian attacks, saying the disruption weakened Ukraine’s defenses and, by doing so, endangered civilians.
After meeting senior US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on Tuesday, Oct. 20, Zelensky confirmed the intelligence sharing had resumed. He added that progress on Starlink restrictions and Patriot interceptors could come within 48 hours.
Separately on Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance said Musk should not be at the center of the dispute over restrictions on Ukraine’s satellite service, framing the issue instead as a matter of US policy toward Russia’s war.
“Well, I think that fundamentally Elon Musk runs a private corporation, and I think it’s completely understandable that he doesn’t want to get in the middle of what is a war between two state actors without the US government effectively directing him on what to do,” he said, leaving unanswered who ordered the restrictions.
Both Musk and the White House denied responsibility for the restrictions, while pinning the blame to the other.
Meanwhile, the European Union is negotiating Ukraine’s access to its secure satellite communications program that could expand the system with commercial services in early 2027.
Currently, Europe has no ready-made replacement that Ukrainian troops can immediately attach to their drones and political pressure to develop alternatives is growing.
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