cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/2098491

Archived link

Eutelsat said it was in talks with European governments about providing additional satellite connectivity in Ukraine, as investors bet that the French satellite operator could replace Elon Musk’s Starlink in the country.

Eutelsat, the owner of OneWeb, a rival to Starlink, said on Tuesday that it was “actively collaborating with European institutions and business partners”, adding that it had equipment that could be “deployed swiftly in Ukraine to connect the most critical missions and infrastructures”.

Ukraine has relied heavily on Starlink for its military campaigns as it has played a critical role in improving its communications on the battlefield, but there are fears this could be under threat after the US suspended military aid to Kyiv on Monday.

[...]

Eutelsat said its talks with European governments were focused on using a combination of its satellite constellations — OneWeb at about 1,200km above the earth and the Geo satellites at 35,000km — to strengthen satellite connectivity in Ukraine and the Black Sea region.

Both are capable of providing connectivity for Ukrainian drones, which have inflicted serious damage on Russian forces. Some military experts believe any large concentration of Russian troops or tanks would be decimated by Ukrainian drone attacks.

[...] The EU on Tuesday proposed a package of €150bn in loans to capitals for defence procurement. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said the move could facilitate “immediate military equipment for Ukraine”.

Eutelsat said that “the timing [of deploying additional user terminals for critical missions and infrastructure] depends on procurement decisions by European member states and the necessary infrastructure co-ordination”.

[...]