The Ukrainian army relies on a satellite purchased from Finland to locate targets in the occupied zone or on Russian territory. This cutting-edge model makes it possible to spot Russian armed forces in the woods, through smoke and clouds.
The threat from space. At the beginning of November 2024, the German defense giant, Rheinmetall, announced the financing of new satellite capacities supplied to Ukraine by the Finnish startup Iceye. Support that seems less impressive than a delivery of tanks or missiles, but which turns out to be just as crucial in practice, and the figures prove it.
This summer, the Ukrainian intelligence agency revealed that 38% of the approximately 4,200 images collected by the Iceye satellite were used to strike Russian targets, whether in occupied areas in Ukraine or on Russian territory.
« The huge advantage of the ICEYE space vehicle is its ability to clearly detect a group of even carefully camouflaged enemy mechanized units thanks to its equipment “, we can read in the report. Ukrainian intelligence specifies that the strikes affected Russian air bases, air defense systems, munitions depots and refineries.
The Finnish company also showed Numerama other photos recovered by the Ukrainian army, which we cannot distribute. In these images, satellites spotted and highlighted Russian forces hidden in the woods.
In another capture, Ukrainian soldiers were able to observe a Russian port in the Black Sea. The Russian army had placed a fake submarine there to deceive the artillery, hoping that the Ukrainians would waste missiles — in vain.
Cutting-edge satellite purchased with donations to Ukrainian army
Iceye uses a particular technology called synthetic aperture radar (SAR), used by the company for both civil and defense missions. By combining data captured throughout its movement, the satellite produces detailed images that are used to monitor the environment or spot military activities, even through clouds or in the dark.
Ukraine already receives satellite information from the American and British military, but the armed forces managed to purchase their own satellite model, thanks to donations. In 2022, the Serhiy Prytula charitable foundation and Ukrainian blogger Ihor Lachenkov raised $20 million to purchase three Turkish drones, a satellite and access to the Finnish satellite company's database.
On this shopping list, the satellite remains the most precious asset, since it still allows Ukrainians to be informed about Russian territories.
Buying in Europe also allows Ukrainians not to depend exclusively on other players. This argument is also put forward by the co-founder of the company, Rafal Modrzewski, who hopes that his constellation enters the nebula of European defense. “ You won't be able to ensure your safety without having eyes in the sky », declares the young business leader.
With the United States' recent authorization for Ukraine to fire long-range missiles, the Ukrainian military could further exploit satellite capabilities, far into regions where Russian forces thought they were safe .
