Ukraine has received an additional 5,000 Starlink terminals from Poland to support critical infrastructure and maintain communications in front-line cities, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on April 3, 2025.
Fedorov explained that the Starlink terminals would help residents of front-line territories stay connected by enabling them to call relatives, reach emergency services, and access the news. “Due to attacks and the destruction of base stations in the de-occupied territories, regular communication is unavailable,” he wrote on Facebook.
Starlink, developed by SpaceX, is a satellite-based internet system providing high-speed connectivity, particularly in remote and underserved areas. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has received over 50,000 Starlink terminals through cooperation between the Digital Transformation Ministry, international partners, and donors. Of these, Poland has been the largest supplier, contributing around 29,500 terminals.
“We are grateful to the Deputy Prime Minister and Digitalization Minister of Poland, Krzysztof Gawkowski, and the Polish government for their contribution to Ukrainian sustainability,” Fedorov said.
Concerns regarding Ukraine’s continued access to Starlink have grown after Reuters reported in February that the U.S. threatened to cut the service unless Kyiv agreed to a critical minerals deal. However, tech billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk denied these claims and, on March 9, stated that cutting Ukraine off from Starlink would cause the country’s entire front line to collapse.
The dispute escalated following a tense meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 28, which led to a temporary halt in U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing. The U.S. sought to push Kyiv toward peace talks with Moscow.
Amid growing uncertainty, Ukrainian officials have been exploring alternatives to Starlink, with French satellite operator Eutelsat Communications in talks with the EU to potentially replace the U.S.-based system in Ukraine.
Story Source: Kyiv Independent
