ICEYE strengthens cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on space defense

Helsinki, July 8, 2024: ICEYE, the global leader in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite operations for Earth Observation, and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to further strengthen their cooperation in remote sensing of the Earth in the interest of Ukraine's national security and defense. 

The Memorandum of Cooperation builds on ICEYE’s unwavering support for the Government of Ukraine since 2022. In the Memorandum,  ICEYE continues to constantly ensure that the imagery captured pertinent to Ukraine’s territory is used in the interests of ensuring the security and defense of Ukraine in conditions of armed aggression and not shared in any circumstance with hostile countries or entities. 

The Memorandum also outlines ICEYE’s and Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense partnering to strengthen Ukraine’s space defense capabilities even further and provide SAR expertise to support defense activities. The Memorandum focuses on advancing remote sensing technology, improving data use for security, and supporting Ukraine’s integration into the global space economy.

In August 2022, ICEYE announced signing a contract with the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation to provide the Government of Ukraine with ICEYE’s SAR satellite imaging capabilities. As part of the agreement, one of ICEYE’s SAR satellites is designated for the Government of Ukraine’s use over the region. In addition, ICEYE provides access to its constellation of SAR satellites, allowing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to receive radar satellite imagery on critical locations with a high revisit frequency.

“Cooperation with ICEYE and the signing of the memorandum will enhance our intelligence work. I’m grateful to the company for its commitment to values and the Ukrainian people. I support the intention to limit space imaging over the territory of Ukraine. We must protect the country on land, in the air, at sea, and in space,” commented Deputy Minister of Defense Kateryna Chernohorenko on the signing of the memorandum.

Oleksandra Ustinova, Head of Ukraine’s Parliamentary Commission on Arms, commented: “I plead with all satellite companies to follow ICEYE’s lead in not selling imagery to Russia. ICEYE has been an important partner for Ukraine in providing satellite data responsibly. We are grateful that they are taking the technological lead within the industry to help protect Ukraine from Russian aggression. ICEYE’s modern technologies will be able to provide Ukraine with an advantage on the battlefield and far beyond enemy lines. I foresee this cooperation to strengthen with time and that together, we will engage in new defense space projects, directing Ukraine toward building a highly technological sovereign space capability.”

“ICEYE has been working closely with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine from Day 1 to support and help Ukraine in building space defense capabilities. In line with our vision to improve life on Earth by becoming the global source of truth in Earth Observation, we take pride in our efforts to provide objective, actionable data and technological support to Ukraine. The use of new, ground-breaking technology will continue to add significant value to the Government of Ukraine,” said Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and Co-founder of ICEYE.

“As an operator of highly advanced space capabilities and as a supplier of geospatial intelligence, we believe that we have a responsibility to prevent the misuse of our services against Ukraine,” continued Rafal Modrzewski, “We ask our peers to stand with us and Ukraine in this approach against unwarranted foreign aggression.”

Owning and operating the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation, ICEYE delivers proven and reliable Earth Observation data and solutions. At any given time, most of the Earth is covered in clouds or darkness. Unlike traditional Earth observation satellites, ICEYE’s small radar imaging satellites can form high-resolution images of areas of the Earth in daylight, at night, and through cloud cover. In other words, they can collect images and data from any part of the Earth multiple times a day, with the necessary reliability for critical decision-making.