In the weeks before the February 2022 invasion, companies such as Maxar and Planet were already publishing images of the Russian build-up. During the war, Ukraine and the public gained access to commercial optical and radar imagery. A notable example: in August 2022 a Ukrainian charity crowdfunded access to a complete ICEYE radar satellite for the Ukrainian armed forces.
- Effect: a country without reconnaissance satellites of its own got a daily picture of the battlefield, also under cloud (SAR).
- Flip side: companies decide what they share and with whom; they can be put under pressure or become targets themselves.