The TROLL spy satellite, the first of a planned Czech-Ukrainian satellite network agreed between Prague and Kyiv shortly after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is already in orbit, and should soon be joined by a small Ukrainian military satellite, DRAK, the Kyiv Post reported yesterday.
The TROLL satellite was developed by the Brno-based company TRL Space. Its key element is a hyperspectral camera, which can take detailed conventional images of the Earth’s surface from orbit, and also analyse other parts of the spectrum with the help of artificial intelligence.
According to the Kyiv Post, which cited the Ukrainian military blog Militarnyi, the system will be able to detect camouflaged vehicles or traces of chemical use, among other things.
TROLL will be complemented in the future by the DRAK satellite, which is being built jointly by the Czech Republic and Ukraine specifically for the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces. A microsatellite weighing less than 150 kilograms, it will have a conventional camera with an increased image resolution of less than one metre per pixel, enabling the effective collection of strategic, operational and tactical information. Five such satellites are to be launched into orbit between 2026 and 2031.
A key feature of this satellite network is that, unlike traditional orbital satellites – where each image taken must first be downloaded to a control station before it can be analysed – AI technology will sort the data and select only relevant images for upload.
The space programme has gained urgency recently amid concerns over whether the United States will be willing to continue sharing intelligence data with Ukraine. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump’s administration denied Kyiv access to government and commercial satellite imagery for several days. The TROLL-DRAK system aims to reduce Ukraine’s dependence on the US systems.
