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Russia Already Using Its Own Starlink Rival Over Ukraine, Kyiv Intelligence Says
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Russia has begun using its Rassvet satellite communications network for military operations over Ukraine, potentially allowing its drones to adjust flight paths in real time and operate with greater resistance to Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.
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According to Reuters on November 6, Andrii Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR), confirmed that Russia is already employing the satellite network, developed as a domestic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink.
However, the system remains limited in its capabilities. Russia currently lacks enough satellites to provide continuous coverage over Ukraine, meaning communications are available only during periods when the spacecraft pass over specific areas.
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Since the beginning of 2026, Russia has launched 32 Rassvet satellites in two batches, in March and July. The constellation remains significantly smaller than SpaceX’s Starlink network, which operates more than 10,000 satellites.
The system could eventually enable two-way communications between Russian drones and ground operators, allowing reconnaissance aircraft to transmit intelligence in real time and strike drones to receive updated instructions while airborne.
Such capabilities would reduce reliance on preprogrammed flight routes and could make Russian drones more difficult to disrupt using Ukrainian electronic warfare equipment.
Reuters also cited Kyiv-based security expert Mykola Zientsev, who estimated that Russia already has at least two reliable satellite communication windows per day, each lasting more than an hour.
Russia plans additional satellite launches before the end of 2026 to expand the network’s coverage. The Rassvet project, operated by Russian company Bureau 1440, is officially scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2027.
Previously, on October 28, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate identified 49 Russian and Belarusian companies involved in developing Rassvet, including 23 organizations that remain outside international sanctions.
The network is intended to support Russian military communications, drone operations, and missile targeting, with Ukraine and European Union countries identified as priority coverage areas.
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