Ukraine’s biggest mobile operator Kyivstar has conducted the country’s first field test of SpaceX’s Starlink direct-to-cell satellite service, successfully exchanging text messages over ordinary smartphones in the Zhytomyr region. Kyivstar said the demonstration was carried out by its chief executive Oleksandr Komarov and Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, marking the inaugural use of the technology in Eastern Europe. The direct-to-cell service turns Starlink satellites into space-based cell towers, providing connectivity when terrestrial networks are damaged or jammed—a recurring problem as Russian strikes target communication infrastructure. Starlink has struck similar agreements with carriers in 10 countries, but Ukraine is set to become the first in Europe to deploy the capability. Kyivstar and SpaceX plan to begin commercial messaging services in the fourth quarter of 2025, with mobile broadband data slated for early 2026. Parent company VEON is also in talks with other satellite providers, including Amazon’s Project Kuiper, to expand resilient mobile coverage as the war keeps terrestrial networks under threat.