Ukraine’s Drone Pilots Turn to Israeli-Italian Comms to Replace Musk’s SpaceX

Ukraine’s armed forces are moving away from Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink satellite internet service and adopting an alternative communications system developed by Israeli and Italian partners, according to coverage from Kyiv Post, Euromaidan Press, UkrMedia News, and Militär Aktuell. Kyiv Post reports that Ukrainian drone pilots are turning to Israeli-Italian comms to replace Musk’s SpaceX, while Euromaidan Press describes the system as a six-kilogram satellite terminal that Russia claims Ukraine is using for deep strikes. UkrMedia News states that the Ukrainian Armed Forces may have been offered an alternative to Starlink, and Militär Aktuell frames the shift under the headline HiSKY Instead of Starlink.

Coverage emphasizes that the replacement terminal weighs six kilograms and is associated with Israeli-Italian technology, though the outlets do not provide a manufacturer name, a contract value, or a deployment timeline. Euromaidan Press quotes the Russian claim that Ukraine is using the terminal for deep strikes, but the coverage does not independently verify that claim or specify which deep-strike operations are involved. Kyiv Post ties the transition directly to drone pilots, indicating the system is being fielded at the tactical level for unmanned aviation rather than only at command echelons.

The background is Ukraine’s long reliance on Starlink for battlefield connectivity, especially for drone command and control, and the apparent desire to diversify satellite communications so that frontline units are not dependent on a single provider. The coverage does not state why Starlink is being replaced, whether service was degraded or restricted, or what prompted the Israeli-Italian option to emerge now. No casualty figures, dates beyond the publication timestamps, or pricing details appear in the coverage.

What to watch next is whether additional countries or companies join the supply chain for the six-kilogram terminal, whether Russian forces attempt to target or jam the Israeli-Italian system now that it has been publicly identified, and whether Ukraine expands the terminal beyond drone units to broader armed forces use. The coverage does not yet specify delivery schedules, operational performance in combat, or any official response from SpaceX.