The EU will not be able to replace Starlink for Ukraine before 2029

The European Union will not be able to provide Ukraine with an alternative to Starlink satellite communications before 2029.

This was stated by European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier at a briefing in Brussels.

According to Regnier, the EU intends to connect Ukraine to the European secure satellite communications system GovSatCom. Basic communications services and the transmission of military data via the IRIS² satellite system will become available by 2029.

Regnier also clarified that the European Commission is considering connecting commercial services to GovSatCom as early as early 2027. This step is intended to serve as an interim stage in the development of European satellite infrastructure and the expansion of secure communications capabilities.

The GovSatCom system pools the satellite resources of EU member states. Ukraine’s phased connection will allow already available European capacities to be used for communications and data exchange, including for government and humanitarian purposes.

At the same time, Ukraine’s civilian and military communications needs differ. Basic communications can be handled using the satellite resources of EU countries, while specialized military services can be provided by commercial operators with the necessary technological capabilities.

The EU plans to bring the IRIS² system to full operational readiness by 2033. To achieve this, up to 300 military and commercial satellites are expected to be deployed. In this way, European satellite infrastructure is intended to gradually expand secure communications capabilities and reduce dependence on external providers.

It was previously reported that Starlink’s operation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces had been restricted during movement at high speed.