Ukraine will begin developing satellites for defence purposes in partnership with other countries starting in 2026, as part of a ten year strategic space roadmap outlined by the Ministry of Defence. The plans were confirmed by Kateryna Chornohorenko, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defence for Digital Development, Digital Transformation, and Digitalisation, in her recent column for Militarnyi, titled ‘Why Does Ukraine Need Military Space?’
The roadmap sets a phased approach to strengthening Ukraine’s presence in space. The first phase, scheduled for 2025 to 2026, involves a comprehensive audit of Ukraine’s current space infrastructure, analysis of critical defence needs, and the creation of strategic documents to shape future development. This phase will help define the foundation upon which future cooperation and technology will be built.
Beginning in 2026, Ukraine aims to develop satellites alongside allied nations. In parallel, the government also plans to establish a space situational awareness system to integrate into national defence technologies. From 2030 to 2035, Ukraine will work toward forming a full satellite constellation that will deliver real time analytics and support wider global security efforts.
In preparation for this long term goal, the Ministry of Defence established a Space Policy Department in March 2025. The new body will act as a coordination hub, uniting stakeholders from defence forces, scientific institutions, international partners, commercial firms, and domestic space enterprises. Its responsibilities will include legislative development, technological assessment, and aligning spatial capabilities with national security objectives.
One of the cornerstone projects already underway is the joint development of the Drak satellite. This initiative emerged from an agreement signed in October 2022 between the governments of Ukraine and the Czech Republic. The Drak satellite, designed for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is being developed by the Czech Brno Space Cluster in collaboration with Ukrainian specialists, with TRL Space acting as the project’s lead integrator. The satellite will form part of the wider Suziria constellation, expected to enhance Ukraine’s space based defence infrastructure in the coming years.
