Ukraine Expands Satellite Cooperation With Finland as Starlink Doubts Linger

October 23 ------ Ukraine signed seven agreements with Finland, including deals to expand Kyiv’s use of Finnish satellite capabilities through Nokia and ICEYE after recent Starlink disruptions exposed how much of the country’s defense hinges on a single private provider that can restrict service with no prior warning.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the agreements in a statement on Thursday, Oct. 22, after holding discussions with the government of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The documents, signed at the Ukrainian-Finnish Business Forum, outlines possible cooperation in defense production, rail transport, energy and housing construction, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said.

“We agreed that we will make greater use of Finland’s satellite capabilities,” Zelensky said. “This is important for our defense and for Ukraine’s resilience.” The total estimated value of today’s agreements is nearly €300 million (roughly $337 million).

Finland donates locomotives to Ukraine

Among the agreements, Finland committed to hand over 10 Dv12 diesel locomotives and spare parts to Ukraine’s state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, free of charge.

Rail transport has become one of Ukraine’s most vital lifelines, with the country’s airspace closed to civilian flights from February 2022. Ukrainian citizens heavily rely on trains for travel, and the railway also carries critical cargo, including food shipments, across the country, making it a frequent target for Russian forces.

According to Koretskyi, Finland has become the first country to donate locomotives to Ukraine free of charge. Earlier this week, Estonia has confirmed it will send a substantial number of locomotives to Ukraine. Although Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha did not provide additional information on the shipment, he said on Tuesday, Oct. 20, that during talks with Estonia, he had “outlined our urgent needs to strengthen Ukraine’s defense and resilience ahead of winter, with a particular focus on Russian strikes against our railways.”

The appeal for railway help initially came mid-September, when Sybiha urged allies to provide Ukraine with replacement locomotives after a Russian strike hit a railway infrastructure just kilometers from the Polish border in Volyn region, in what may have been a deliberate attack on a train carrying diplomats. Western allies were asked in particular to assist in finding locomotives compatible with the 1,520-milimeter railway gauge Ukraine uses, as well as provide funding to accelerate the procurement of new ones.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has damaged or destroyed more than 500 locomotives, with over half of those losses recorded this year alone, according to Sybiha’s estimates. Mykola Kalashnyk, Ukraine’s Minister for Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport said on Aug. 23 that Russia has attacked Ukraine’s railway infrastructure at least 1,534 times so far in 2026.

Source: kyivpost.com