Eutelsat in talks with EU to possibly replace Starlink in Ukraine, CEO confirms
French satellite operator Eutelsat Communications is in advanced talks with the European Union to possibly replace tech billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on March 6.
"Everyone is asking us today, 'Can you replace the large number of terminals of Starlink in Ukraine,' and we are looking at that," Eutelsat CEO Eva Berneke told Bloomberg.
Eutelsat, which already operates in Ukraine, has thousands of terminals deployed, although not all are connected to the network.
Starlink has played a vital role in Ukraine's battlefield communications, with around 42,000 terminals providing service to the military, medical facilities, businesses, and aid organizations.
Berneke said the company is in discussions with suppliers to provide both military-grade and standard terminals and would need "a couple of months" to supply 40,000 units.
Concerns over Starlink's availability escalated after the U.S. paused military aid to Ukraine on March 3. Reuters reported that U.S. officials have raised the possibility of restricting Ukraine's access to Starlink.
Musk, who owns Starlink and has close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump, denied the intention to turn off the terminals.
Eutelsat's proposal combines OneWeb's low Earth orbit satellites, positioned around 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) above the surface, with its geostationary satellites at 35,000 kilometers (21,748 miles).
The dual-constellation approach could provide essential connectivity for Ukraine's military, including for drone operations that have inflicted significant losses on Russian forces.
OneWeb already provides services to Ukraine through a German distributor, but scaling up would require European governments to approve procurement and integration plans.
The European Commission is assessing ways to help Ukraine secure satellite communications in case Starlink access is restricted, Politico reported on March 3.
Kollen Post
