Ukraine’s new frontier: how space has become critical to balance of the war
Ukraine has successfully launched its first test satellite, Obria Nano, as part of efforts to build an independent communications network amid growing space-based threats from Russia.
The attack on Samara's Progress Rocket and Space Centre in August marked a significant escalation, with Ukrainian missiles striking facilities that produce Russia's Soyuz-2 rockets, essential for the new Rassvet satellite system. This network is being rapidly deployed as a replacement for Elon Musk's Starlink, from which Russia was excluded earlier this year.
The strike demonstrated how the conflict has expanded beyond traditional battlefields into the domain of space, where satellite capabilities and countermeasures have become critical to military operations.
Space militarization accelerates
Russia has increasingly used space-based assets for military purposes, deploying Oreshnik ballistic missiles that launch into near space before deploying multiple warheads. Moscow has also employed aggressive satellite maneuvers, such as when Kosmos 2612 deliberately harassed a Finnish Iceye satellite providing terrain imaging to Ukrainian forces.
The US has also acknowledged deploying "on-orbit space control weapons" as the domain becomes increasingly militarized, with treaties governing space operations struggling to keep pace with technological advancements and strategic competition.
Ukraine's sovereign space push
Following controversial reductions in Starlink service that impacted Ukrainian military communications, Kyiv has accelerated efforts to develop its own independent space capabilities. Last month, Ukraine and Denmark's GomSpace announced the successful launch of Obria Nano, the first test satellite for a future Ukrainian communications network of approximately 245 satellites.
Ukraine has conducted at least three tests of near-space interception systems as it seeks to counter threats like Russia's Oreshnik missiles. These exo-atmospheric kill systems are designed to intercept weapons in near space, though funding remains a significant challenge amid the ongoing conflict.
Global shift to space autonomy
The unreliability of commercial space ventures like Starlink has prompted countries worldwide to pursue independent satellite capabilities. Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation notes that "everyone now wants their own versions of Starlink, including the Europeans."
This trend reflects a broader strategic shift as nations recognize the critical importance of space-based systems for military and economic security in an increasingly contested domain where traditional governance frameworks struggle to maintain stability.
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