Estonia to invest millions in Starlink systems for Ukraine’s military
Estonia is stepping up its support for Ukraine with a multimillion-euro package aimed at strengthening battlefield communications. The announcement came after high-level talks between Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
According to Shmyhal, Estonia will allocate €3 million to purchase and maintain Starlink satellite systems for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The prime minister shared details of the meeting on social media, highlighting Estonia’s ongoing commitment to Ukraine’s defense needs, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
During the discussions, both sides focused on advancing cooperation in several critical defense areas. These included enhancing air defense capabilities, expanding drone production, establishing joint defense enterprises, and continuing the training of Ukrainian soldiers under Operation Legio. Shmyhal emphasized that Ukraine values Estonia’s participation in the PURL initiative and is ready to contribute to projects under the SAFE framework, which aims to support the growth of both countries’ defense industries.
He expressed gratitude to Estonia for its consistent support, stating, “Thank you, Estonia, for your steadfast support of Ukrainians in this war.”
Starlink, a satellite internet network developed by SpaceX, has become a lifeline for Ukraine’s communication infrastructure. By using thousands of low-Earth-orbit satellites, it provides stable and high-speed internet access even in regions where traditional networks are damaged or unavailable — a crucial advantage for Ukrainian forces operating near the front line.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Starlink has played a key role in maintaining secure communications and coordinating military operations, including drone missions.
Earlier this year, concerns emerged in Washington over whether Ukraine could face restrictions to Starlink access amid sensitive discussions on rare-earth elements. These concerns prompted the European Commission to examine alternative solutions to ensure Ukraine would not be left without satellite communication in a critical moment.
However, tensions eased when the U.S. approved a $150 million package in August to fund Starlink services and equipment for Ukraine. Despite this, the network has experienced several outages on the front line in recent months, most recently in September — a reminder of how vital consistent communication technology remains in wartime conditions.
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