Elon Musk’s Starlink has signed a deal with Ukraine’s largest telecoms operator to provide consumers in the country with “uninterrupted” satellite-powered mobile connectivity. The deal is set to give Kyivstar customers the ability to send text messages even if the terrestrial network is down, the company said on Monday. Starlink’s direct-to-cell service is expected to come online in the fourth quarter of 2025, with voice and data transmission services coming later. Kyivstar signed a deal to give customers in Ukraine access to Starlink’s space-based cell service. Customers will be able to send text messages if the terrestrial network is down, Kyivstar said. Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian infrastructure since it launched its invasion in 2022. Kyivstar said Ukraine would become one of the first countries to deploy the service, which can be accessed on phones without any additional hardware or software so long as they have 4G LTE capabilities.
Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, has sent thousands of Starlink kits to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. The kits are portable terminals that receive broadband connections directly from Starlink’s constellation of satellites, rather than a mass-consumer network rollout. Ukraine’s military has been using Starlink terminals for internet connectivity in remote locations, making the service an important front-line resource. Since invading nearly the country three years ago, Russia has consistently attacked Ukraine’s infrastructure, including a drone and missile strike on its energy infrastructure on Christmas Day.
Kaan Terzioglu, the CEO of Veon Group, Kyivstar’s parent company, said in an announcement that the Starlink deal would “significantly increase the resilience of our services thanks to satellite technologies” for its more than 23 million mobile subscribers. SpaceX completed its first constellation of Starlink direct-to-cell satellites during a Falcon 9 rocket launch in early December. The company has struck deals with telecom companies elsewhere around the world for direct-to-cell service, including T-Mobile in the US, and has partnered with airlines to offer free WiFi on flights. Global internet traffic from Starlink more than tripled in 2024, according to data from the IT service provider Cloudflare. Elon Musk’s Starlink is set to give Ukraine “uninterrupted” service through its satellite network through a partnership with Kyivstar (VEON), the country’s largest mobile operator.
Kyivstar said its deal with the SpaceX subsidiary will make Ukraine one of the first nations to have access to Starlink’s direct-to-cell service. Starlink completed its direct-to-cell phone constellation on Dec. 4, when it sent 13 satellites into low orbit. More than 300 of Starlink’s 6,894 satellites in orbit are direct-to-cell capable, according to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell. Kyvistar expects to begin using Starlink for some messaging services during the fourth quarter of 2025. Voice and data transmission services will come later. Working with Starlink, we will now leverage space technology to bridge the connectivity gaps to extend our reach far beyond the current 160 million people we serve,” Augie Fabella II, the founder of VEON, Kyivstar’s parent company, said in a statement. A key factor of the partnership is that the company’s subscribers will be able to communicate with others even if the terrestrial network is down. That would be a major help to civilians as the Russia-Ukraine war persists, as many residents rely on phone alerts to warn them of impending attacks.
Last December, Kyivstar was targeted with a powerful cyberattack that put millions of people in danger of not receiving alerts of potential air raids. The company’s CEO at the time said the attack was “a result of” the war with Russia; it was later reported that the attack, which cost Kyivstar $90 million, was likely carried out by Russian hackers. Kyivstar is the foundation of Ukraine’s resilience during the war. We strive to continue to do everything possible to ensure connectivity for every Ukrainian. Our cooperation with Starlink will be revolutionary in achieving the strategic goal of ‘4G everywhere’, Kyvistar CEO Oleksandr Komarov said in a statement on Sunday.
