Ukrainian parliament backs creation of Space Forces in first reading
The proposal comes amid concerns over Ukraine's reliance on foreign satellite communications.
Ukraine's parliament has voted to advance legislation that would create Space Forces as a new branch of the country's Armed Forces, with 252 lawmakers supporting the bill on November 9. The proposed legislation aims to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities by developing space technologies. Draft law No. 13255, first registered in parliament on May 2, 2025, must go through a second reading before lawmakers can give it final approval.
The bill seeks to establish a dedicated military branch for space defense, integrating it into the armed forces' structure. Proposed measures include a national early-warning system to detect incoming missile launches and secure satellite communications for Ukraine's security forces. The need for such a system became apparent in October when restrictions on SpaceX's Starshield service reportedly disrupted Ukrainian military operations.
Elon Musk, the U.S. billionaire and SpaceX CEO, had previously criticized Ukraine for receiving access to Starlink terminals during Russia's full-scale invasion, stating it was a "mistake."
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
