Ukraine and Russia accelerate military satellite network efforts amid war

Ukraine is moving to reduce its dependence on Starlink by building its own military satellite communications capability, while Russia is also developing a satellite constellation for military use. The latest step on the Ukrainian side is the Obria Nano satellite, which has reached orbit and is being presented as an initial move toward a sovereign system. The development comes as the war continues to place heavy demands on battlefield communications and intelligence.

The Obria Nano satellite was launched by Himera, a Ukrainian company known for military radios, together with GomSpace, a Danish small-satellite manufacturer. The company said on October 27 that the nanosatellite marked Ukraine's "first historical step toward establishing resilient and sovereign satellite communications capabilities," nearly four weeks after it reached orbit. In mid-October, Kyiv also signed up Nokia and ICEYE to explore the development of a military satellite network.

The immediate pressure behind these efforts is Ukraine's near-total reliance on SpaceX's Starlink system for military communications. On Thursday, the speeds of Starlink and Starshield, its military component operated by the Pentagon, were limited for Ukraine, causing what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as "significant disruptions" along the front line. Zelenskyy said Starlink had also been disrupted last month, underlining the fragility of a system that has become central to wartime operations.

The issue matters because satellite communications now sit at the centre of Ukraine's battlefield resilience. Reliable links are needed for command, coordination, and the movement of information across front-line positions, and any interruption can affect operations quickly. The effort to build a sovereign network also reflects a broader strategic concern in Kyiv: dependence on a foreign-controlled system leaves Ukraine exposed to technical limits, political pressure, and shifting priorities outside its control.

Ukraine's search for alternatives has developed over time as the war has deepened. Since 2022, the country has had a complicated relationship with Elon Musk, whose company provided Starlink services and modems free of charge, but whose decisions and public comments have also created uncertainty. Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta think tank, said Musk's "mood swings" have played a significant role, adding that there have been periods when Musk helped Ukraine and others when reactions were very negative.

The new satellite work also shows how Ukraine is trying to combine domestic and foreign expertise. Himera's role links the project to military communications hardware already used in the country, while GomSpace brings small-satellite manufacturing experience. Nokia and ICEYE add telecoms and radar-imaging capabilities, with ICEYE's technology described as able to obtain high-resolution satellite imagery in any weather.

Together, these partnerships suggest an attempt to build a more resilient communications and intelligence architecture over time. Russia's parallel effort adds another layer to the strategic competition. The row says Moscow is also developing its own satellite constellation for military communications, indicating that space-based systems are becoming part of the wider war effort on both sides.

That raises the stakes for communications security, surveillance, and battlefield awareness, even as Ukraine continues to rely on external systems in the near term. What remains unclear is how quickly Ukraine can move from early-stage projects to an operational sovereign network. A US-based space expert, Anatoly Zak, said it is possible to create a new system, but that it will take several years, and that Starlink and Starshield are still necessary in the next year or two.

The key questions now are whether the new partnerships can deliver usable capacity soon enough, how Russia's own programme develops, and whether further disruptions to existing systems will accelerate the push for alternatives.

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