Estonia allocates €3.5 million for Ukraine to buy Starlink systems
Photo: Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Getty Images)
Estonia has allocated 3.5 million euros to Ukraine for the purchase of Starlink communication systems as part of the IT Coalition, according to the Estonian Ministry of Defense.
According to Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, Ukraine itself notified Estonia about the need for support to ensure Starlink connectivity.
"And understandably, this is extremely important assistance for them, which has a noticeable effect on the battlefield. Starlink’s capabilities are especially important given Ukraine’s intention to significantly increase the number of drones that require high-performance internet connectivity," he said.
The minister reminded that Ukraine fights every day for the freedom of all of Europe, including Estonia.
"Therefore, in addition to weapons, information-technology support is also critically important, and I am glad that we can help Ukraine improve its IT capabilities, thereby increasing its chances of victory in a war that takes hundreds of lives every day," Pevkur added.
It is noted that the 3.5 million euros allocated for the purchase of Starlink communication systems come from the assistance package for Ukraine that Estonia has planned for 2025.
The funds designated for joint Starlink procurement will be directed through the IT Coalition, which Estonia and Luxembourg lead.
The ministry added that this year, Estonia has provided Ukraine with military assistance equivalent to about 0.3% of Estonia’s GDP. The assistance was directed toward purchasing military support for Ukraine through Estonian companies, training conducted by the Estonian Defense Forces, and the development of information technologies through the IT Coalition.
Importance of Starlink at the front
It should be recalled that in February, it became known that the United States had raised the issue of potentially disconnecting the country from Starlink.
After that, the European Commission began examining how to assist Ukraine in the event that access to the Starlink network is restricted.
Already in August, the United States agreed to pay for Starlink satellite services for Ukraine. The State Department approved the sale of satellite communication services and equipment worth approximately $ 150 million.
At the same time, several Starlink outages have recently been observed at the front. The most recent one was recorded in September, when connectivity problems were detected along the entire front line.
For more details on why Starlink is essential for Ukraine on the front, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.
