Russia Using Own Version of Starlink for Military Comms over Ukraine, Kyiv Says
Ukraine says Rassvet gives Russian drones real-time data links and could improve strike accuracy, while Moscow plans more launches through 2026.
- Russia is using the Rassvet satellite system over Ukrainian territory for military purposes, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported. Spokesman Andrii Yusov said the constellation provides intermittent communication allowing Russian forces to adjust attack drone flight paths in real time.
- Previously relying on grey-market Starlink terminals, Russian forces lost access after Kyiv successfully lobbied SpaceX to disable them earlier this year. This loss prompted Moscow to accelerate development of Rassvet, designed to rival Elon Musk's Starlink network.
- Mykola Zientsev, a Kyiv-based security expert, stated that Rassvet already impacts precision strikes by providing Russia two daily communication windows lasting over an hour. Ukraine also claims Russia is developing this Starlink analogue using Chinese components.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions last week on 10 companies developing Rassvet, including Bureau 1440, the project coordinator. Denys Sienik, Ukraine's chargé d'affaires in Washington, urged the U.S. government to impose its own sanctions on the firms involved.
- Bureau 1440 aims to create a constellation of more than 900 satellites by 2035 to establish a full low-orbit communications system. Moscow plans more Rassvet launches by the end of 2026 to expand geographic coverage.
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Russia is already using its Rassvet satellite network for military communications over Ukraine, Ukrainian military intelligence told Reuters. The system has been billed as Russia’s equivalent of Starlink and is designed to make strike drones more accurate and harder to jam. Since the beginning of the year, Moscow has launched 32 Rassvet satellites into orbit in two stages, in March and July. Last month, the Russian government said Russia had lau…
Russia is already using its version of Starlink for military communications in the SVZ zone, as reported by Reuters with reference to the General Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
Defense News
Military TimesRussia using own version of Starlink for military comms over Ukraine, Kyiv says
Russia is already using its new Rassvet satellite network — billed as a homegrown version of Starlink — for military communications over Ukraine, according to Ukrainian military intelligence.
Russia is already using its new Rasvet satellite network, presented as a domestic version of Starlink, for military communications over Ukraine in order to make its attack drones more accurate and resistant to jamming, Ukrainian military intelligence sources told the British agency Reuters today.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is using its new satellite network "Rasswet" to control combat drones. The system is supposed to allow more precise attacks, but it has gaps. "Rasswet" is considered to be the answer to Starlink.
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