No viable alternative to Starlink for now — Ukrainian drone forces commander

In an interview with RFE/RL, Sukharevskyi said Ukraine must consider the necessity of having its own similar internet access system as a nation. He noted that while no real alternative to Starlink exists at the moment, Ukraine is engaged in talks with allies to "attempt to create an alternative—effective and our own, in terms of military operations."

“It's no secret that Starlink (and this is not an advertisement) provided us with a strategic advantage during the full-scale [Russian] invasion,” Sukharevskyi added.

“I evaluate this effect as truly strategic. Within the operations of Unmanned Systems Forces, it is clear that it is one of the primary means used for communication, coordinating military activities from the pilot to me, the commander, and even higher [up the chain].” 

In December 2024, Bloomberg reported that Ukraine's military would gain broader access to Starshield, a more secure, militarized version of Starlink, ran by the U.S. Department of Defense.