The country's leading mobile operator Kyivstar has signed an agreement with Starlink to introduce the service, according to Kyivstar's parent company VEON.

Ukraine will be one of the first countries in the world where Starlink will roll out the technology, which allows satellites to beam phone signals from space directly to smartphones.

The move by Ukraine is a bid to place telecom infrastructure beyond the reach of Russian attacks.

Kyivstar expects to offer text messaging using the technology towards the end of 2025, and will expand to voice and data in later stages.

Kaan Terzioglu, VEON Group CEO, said: "Kyivstar has done a tremendous job in investing in Ukraine's 4G connectivity, expanding coverage to remote areas and increasing the energy resilience of its network. Today's announcement helps us take our commitment to Ukraine's connectivity to the next level, exponentially amplifying the resilience of our services with satellite connectivity. We are excited to work with Starlink to make Ukraine one of the leading countries in the world to have direct-to-cell services, and we look forward to exploring the opportunities across our markets that are home to 520 million people."

Oleksandr Komarov, Kyivstar CEO, added: "Kyivstar has been the backbone of Ukraine's resilience throughout the war, and we are committed to leaving no stone unturned to keep Ukraine connected. Our collaboration with Starlink is a game-changer in our journey towards achieving our 'LTE everywhere' ambition. We are humbled to be the operator that serves its customer with exceptional services, and the company that brings the invaluable capabilities of global technology giants to the people of Ukraine through our international partnerships."