A Ukrainian uses a Starlink satellite-internet communication system on a rooftop in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 11, 2025.

Andrew Kravchenko | Bloomberg | Getty Images

After SpaceX restricted use of its Starlink and Starshield satellite internet services in Ukraine, causing fast-moving drones to disconnect and drop out of the sky, Kyiv is looking for alternatives.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said on Thursday that it has signed a letter of intent to develop new defense and satellite communication capabilities in partnership with Finnish tech companies Nokia and ICEYE, which makes satellites.

"Modern warfare has proven that reliable communications are a matter of national security," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement .…