Ukraine to Introduce Starlink Mobile Services in Europe by 2026

Ukraine is set to become the first country in Europe to introduce Starlink-powered mobile services, with messaging capabilities expected by the end of 2025 and full mobile satellite broadband and voice services targeted for mid-2026.

The move follows a partnership between Ukraine’s largest telecom operator Kyivstar and SpaceX, enabling mobile phones to connect directly to satellites without ground-based infrastructure. Field trials are already underway, Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov announced ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Italy.

“The first stage is messaging via OTT technologies that is, messaging through WhatsApp, Signal, and other systems by the end of this year,” Komarov said. “And, probably, at the beginning of 2026, let’s be cautious, in the second quarter of 2026, we will be able to offer mobile satellite broadband data transmission and voice.”

By Ruvarashe Gora

The technology works by allowing standard smartphones to communicate with satellites as if they were cell towers in space, a breakthrough in mobile coverage for remote or infrastructure-damaged regions.

SpaceX has not publicly commented on the agreement. However, Kyivstar’s initiative is seen as a critical step in bolstering Ukraine’s digital resilience amid ongoing conflict and infrastructure disruption.

Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine relied primarily on the British satellite operator Viasat. That changed when a Russian cyberattack disabled Viasat just hours before the invasion. Starlink terminals arrived on February 28, 2022, donated free of charge, and have since played a vital role in frontline communications, including during the siege of Azovstal.