The German company Rheinmetall has started providing satellite images to Ukraine.

Ukraine has begun receiving satellite imagery that may assist its intelligence efforts. The relevant agreement was signed with the German defense consortium Rheinmetall, along with the German and Ukrainian governments, reported on November 11 by the Rheinmetall press service.

The agreement entails an increased volume of data from satellites operated by the Finnish company ICEYE as part of enhanced cooperation between the German consortium and the space enterprise. The contract was announced in September 2024, and by early October, Ukraine had already received its first satellite images under the expanded agreement.

“The agreement further enhances the SAR data and other support that Ukraine has received from ICEYE during the war,” the Rheinmetall press service stated.

The arrangement also provides access to the complete constellation of the company’s satellites, totaling 38. SAR satellites, equipped with synthetic aperture radar, offer advantages over conventional satellites as they can create high-resolution images regardless of weather conditions or time of day. They feature strong detail and allow for the identification of even the smallest objects on the Earth's surface.

It is worth noting that in August 2022, the Serhiy Prytula Foundation utilized funds raised by Ukrainians to lease a so-called "people's satellite" from ICEYE. It has been noted that since the military intelligence gained access to this space asset, the capabilities of Ukrainian intelligence in detecting enemy targets for subsequent prioritization of strikes have increased significantly, and the images helped destroy enemy assets worth billions of dollars.

In 2024, the company signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, defining a partnership to strengthen its space intelligence capabilities.