A surveillance satellite procured through a Ukrainian crowdfunding campaign has aided attacks on more than 1,500 Russian targets, according to Kyiv’s military intelligence service (HUR). The space asset, developed by Finnish microsatellite manufacturer ICEYE Ltd., has captured 4,173 images of Russian military facilities over the past year, including airfields, air defense positions, oil depots, naval bases, and facilities producing and storing military weapons. Since the invasion began in February 2022, Russia has lost more than 500,000 soldiers, 8,000 tanks, 15,000 armored vehicles, and 871 air defense systems, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The ICEYE satellite was purchased in mid-2022 for the Ukrainian military using funds initially raised for Bayraktar drones. Kyiv did not have its own satellite before the invasion, relying on space intelligence from allies. Now, the satellite allows Ukraine to monitor Russian troop movements, military-industrial complexes, logistics, and identifies hostile combat aircraft, ships, and air defense systems. The HUR stated that the satellite has helped disrupt and track Russia’s military intentions.
The ICEYE satellite is one of several military assets bought using crowdfunding campaigns. In July 2022, the Ukrainian military built an “Army of Drones” with foreign donations. Ukrainian volunteers also initiated a crowdsourcing campaign in 2023 to provide FV101 Scorpion armored reconnaissance vehicles. NATO allies, such as Lithuania, also collected donations to purchase Turkish-made drones for Ukraine’s forces.
