Per aspera ad astra: Why Ukraine is creating its own Space Forces

On November 9, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada passed Bill No. 13255 in its first reading, for the creation of the Space Forces within the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 252 members of parliament voted in favor.

This means that the Ukrainian military will soon include a separate branch dedicated to operations beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Despite all the grandiosity and even the fantastical nature of the idea, this is precisely what the legislative initiative calls for. 24 Channel reports on what is known about the future Space Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and attempts to figure out what they might be tasked with in the near future.

Ukraine Is Creating Its Own Space Forces

The members of parliament who voted in favor of the initiative are convinced that it will serve as a catalyst for the development of space technologies to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Of course, this does not yet involve a space marine corps like the one in Paul Verhoeven’s movie, but the Armed Forces plan to create their own system that will provide early warning of Russian missile launches, as well as develop countermeasures against such attacks.

In addition, Ukraine wants to create its own secure satellite communications system for the military and other agencies.

So far, the bill has only been approved in principle. For final approval, parliament must vote on it in the second reading.

Interestingly, this bill was first introduced in parliament back in May 2025. One of its authors is People’s Deputy Fedir Venislavskyi.

He is also the main source for articles from The Guardian, which recently caused a stir with a report claiming that Ukraine has already conducted at least three tests of systems capable of countering Russia’s “Oreshnik” in space.

Science Fiction Becomes Reality

The article in the British publication sparked considerable debate, as such systems are extremely expensive and high-tech weapons possessed by only a few countries worldwide.

For example, consider the THAAD system, manufactured in the United States. Although it is marketed as a versatile system, its interceptors are capable of operating both in the upper layers of the atmosphere (the endoatmosphere) and at the lower boundary of the exosphere to intercept short- and medium-range missiles.

In addition, Israel has a similar system in its arsenal. Arrow 3, also known as “Strela” or “Hetz,” is a space-based interceptor system jointly developed by Israel and the United States. It is designed to destroy Iranian ballistic missiles in space, long before they reach Israeli territory.

In 2023–2024, the system demonstrated its first successful live-fire intercepts of Yemeni missiles outside the atmosphere.

Interception of an Iranian ballistic missile in space, March 2026 – watch the video:

In 2025, videos of the air defense system intercepting Iranian missiles in space during Tehran’s response to Operation Midnight Hammer went viral and demonstrated that the billions invested in the project were well spent. Successful intercepts of Iranian ballistic missiles in space also took place in 2026.

They confirmed the reputation of U.S.-Israeli air defense systems and reignited the debate over the need to have something similar in the arsenal of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, given Russia’s constant strikes and the Muscovites' display of "Oreshnik" missiles.

Discussions about the need for negotiations to transfer such systems to Ukraine began as early as 2023 (when we had just started receiving PATRIOT systems), but they never came to fruition, since Israel refused to transfer its own systems to anyone else for use, and in the fall of 2024, Trump won the U.S. election. After that, everything went quiet. Only experts and journalists continued the discussions and tried to calculate how much it would all cost.

Ultimately, such comparisons immediately raise a logical question: Is Ukraine, with its budget deficit and significant financial problems – which are largely covered by European partners – capable of developing such systems? Because this isn’t free public transportation, although there are problems with that as well.

Perhaps we’ve come up with something that hasn’t been used anywhere in the world yet? Or decided to launch our own budget-friendly IPSO, inspired by Reagan’s “Star Wars” program. That’s what the media called the Pentagon’s program, known as the “Strategic Defense Initiative” (SDI). It was a bluff, but the USSR fell for it and, as is believed, got drawn into the space arms race, which became one of the causes of the bankruptcy of the "Sovok".

All of this is just speculation, but the question remains open. Of course, one would like to believe that this is actually the case, but so far there is very little information about the “possibility of intercepting the ‘Oreshnik’ in space.” And I’d like to hear this not from politicians, but from experts. The very fact that such information exists is intriguing, but this story may not have anything to do with the Space Forces at all. Instead, Ukraine – which, let’s not forget, is a spacefaring nation – may be pursuing entirely different avenues.

What was this, and who will pay for it all?

For example, creating our own satellite communications system seems far more realistic.

When Starlink was shut down for the Russians in early 2026 – their front lines began to crumble, a situation the Ukrainian Defense Forces were able to exploit successfully. At that point, the enemy hastily began to “push forward” the development of its own "Rassvet" system, which already has several dozen satellites in orbit, giving them the ability to maintain direct communication over Ukrainian territory for several hours a day.

While the situation isn’t critical yet, the implications and danger of this “Rassvet” project are obvious.

That is precisely why Ukrainian experts are already considering how to counter this, and we share this understanding. First and foremost, this involves improving our electronic warfare systems. In addition, it is worth noting the strikes against the enemy’s capabilities, which are significantly slowing down the Russians’ progress on the project.

In August, Ukraine struck the “Progress” rocket and space center in Samara – the manufacturer of Russian “Soyuz-2” rockets – with “Flamingo” missiles. The missiles struck two buildings, including a facility known as Building 106A – a so-called “clean room” where motherboards for the Soyuz rocket launch systems were assembled. This strike dealt a severe blow to Russia’s space program – in this way, Ukraine significantly curtailed Russia’s space capabilities without even leaving Earth’s atmosphere.

So what about the Ukrainian counterpart to Starlink?

Consider the foundation laid. On October 1, 2026, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle carried the first experimental communications test satellite into orbit. In the future, this is set to become Ukraine’s satellite network, known as OBRIYA.

The first satellite will collect data and conduct a series of tests on data transmission and technical capabilities. Denmark is assisting us with this effort, specifically the aerospace company GomSpace, which will manage the satellite during the initial phase, but control will eventually be fully transferred to Ukrainian operators.

OBRIA NANO – a Ukrainian satellite in Earth orbit/ Image – HIMERA & GomSpace

Reliance on technologies from other countries, including partner nations, creates strategic risks, especially during wartime. Developing domestic capabilities will help Ukraine diversify its communication channels and strengthen its strategic security. OBRIA NANO will operate under the control of a Ukrainian operator and serve Ukraine’s strategic security needs, the company noted.

However, it’s worth noting that launching this project – which involves at least 100 satellites – will take years, so it’s unrealistic to expect Ukraine to have its own Starlink equivalent within a month.

Clearly, this would greatly enhance our defense capabilities, and Ukraine would not be dependent on anyone. We would also likely forget what ballistic attacks are, because with such systems, the Armed Forces could destroy Iskander and S-400 launchers on an industrial scale – but for now, we can only hope for that.

We definitely need to establish a Space Force within the Armed Forces of Ukraine, since the war is already moving into space, and we must be prepared for this. We must develop our own systems, strive to foster competition, and direct all our efforts toward the nation’s defense capabilities.

However, we must take into account all limitations, bottlenecks, and practical considerations.

The truth is that space is very expensive; it is very difficult and costly for a single country to undertake such projects on its own, so international co-production is the ideal option.

However, such cooperation imposes certain restrictions, which in wartime can create major problems (we’ve seen this with the restrictions on Starlink/Starshield operations and the interruption in the provision of intelligence data and ballistic missile launch warnings).

Therefore, it is necessary to strike a balance between exclusivity, national interests, and collaboration. Because in addition to the obvious billions of euros required for such projects, access to technology and a willingness to share it for the sake of a common goal are essential. After all, even for space forces, decision-making centers remain on Earth.