Zelensky: Ukraine testing Starlink alternative with European partner

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine is developing a satellite communications project as an alternative to Starlink together with a European country and has already begun testing it.

He announced this in an address published on August 23.

Zelensky did not reveal the name of the European partner. According to him, Russia is also working on its own Starlink equivalent — in partnership with China — and expects to complete the project by December 2026. Zelensky described the prospect of a Russian alternative as “yet another challenge” among those Ukraine has had to face during the war.

“We will not just sit and wait while Russia and China do their thing,” Zelensky said.

The Kyiv Independent reported that Russia’s domestic alternative, called “Rassvet,” remains far from matching Starlink in quality and coverage.

At the same time, Ukraine continues to press Elon Musk and the Trump administration for permission to use Starlink over Russian territory for long-range drone operations. Musk has refused, calling it an escalation. Drones equipped with Starlink terminals have already struck Russian logistics routes in occupied territories at distances of 50 to 200 kilometers from the front line, but the terminals do not function directly over Russian territory. Ukraine argues that expanding the coverage zone would allow it to strike Russian ballistic missile launchers before they are fired.

Zelensky expressed cautious optimism about Musk’s position.

“He may change his mind when he sees additional arguments,” Zelensky told journalists on August 22.

The negotiations were complicated by a misunderstanding involving former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed in mid-July. According to Zelensky, Fedorov’s ministry told him that Musk had approved the use of Starlink over Russian territory, after which Zelensky secured President Trump’s agreement — however, Musk denied having given such permission. Despite this setback, Zelensky said his team is receiving “more encouraging responses” in recent negotiations and expressed hope for a result if “nobody makes a big fuss.”