(Reuters) - Shares in Franco-British satellite operator Eutelsat pulled back on Friday after soaring nearly 500% this week on the prospect of potentially replacing Starlink in Ukraine. By 0855 GMT, Eutelsat's shares were down 16.6% at 5.77 euros, after rallying 477% this week as of Thursday's close.

Eutelsat is in talks with the European Union to supply additional internet access to Ukraine, it said on Tuesday, amid a two-day surge in its shares on the prospect that OneWeb satellites could replace Elon Musk's Starlink there.

European authorities are working with Eutelsat, a French satellite operator, to deploy more satellites in Ukraine. View on euronews

Amid deteriorating ties with Ukraine, Elon Musk claimed that Starlink was the backbone of the war-torn country’s army, which would collapse if the service were turned off. He also engaged in a spat with the Polish foreign minister over its use in the war.

While it has fewer than one-tenth of Starlink's satellites, Eutelsat is being floated as a potential replacement if Starlink access is cut.

OneWeb, Project Kuiper, and IRIS2 could all, in time, replace Elon Musk's satellite communications system in Ukraine, but they will struggle to replicate Starlink's coverage and usability.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, accusing him of spreading misinformation regarding Starlink's role in Ukraine. Rubio emphasized Starlink's importance,