Ukraine Begins Developing UASAT-NANO Military Satellite Network, Launching ITU Regulatory Process

Ukraine has begun regulatory registration of a planned low-Earth-orbit satellite communications network called UASAT-NANO, a project led by Ukrainian company STETMAN, according to DOU on February 18.

DOU said Ukraine filed an application with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in December 2025 to register the UASAT-NANO satellite network, and that the network appeared on February 17 in the BR IFIC  Space publication, marking an initial step in the international regulatory process.

According to STETMAN, the constellation is planned to begin deployment in 2026, with 120 satellites in an initial phase and annual increases thereafter.

The outlet quoted STETMAN founder Dmytro Stetsenko as saying the first satellite, also called UASAT-NANO, is scheduled for launch in October 2026 and will be used as a test platform to validate technologies and the management model for a larger constellation.

The network is being designed as a protected communications infrastructure for government, security services, and the military rather than a commercial service competing with global providers such as Starlink.

Stetsenko added that serial launches are planned with SpaceX and that the companies already have agreements in place, while initial satellite manufacturing is expected to be provided by Denmark’s GomSpace before production is gradually localized in Ukraine.

STETMAN plans to supply 30,000 to 50,000 terminals to Ukraine’s Armed Forces in 2027.

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The announcement comes as Ukraine has moved to cut off Starlink terminals used by Russian forces on temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory, after Ukrainian officials said some devices had been activated outside authorized channels and were being used to support attack drone operations and communications between military units.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation said on February 5 that Kyiv was tightening access controls through an approved-device “whitelist” so only authorized terminals could connect.

Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine approved regulatory changes to enable private 4G and 5G networks for the Armed Forces as part of efforts to strengthen secure battlefield communications.

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