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Ukrainian FPV Drone Destroys Russia’s Rare Spirit-030 Starlink Alternative, Video
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Ukraine’s 1st Separate Assault Brigade named after Dmytro Kotsiubailo destroyed a rare Russian Spirit-030 portable satellite internet terminal on the Huliaipole front, the unit reported.
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According to the brigade on August 24, an FPV drone crew identified and struck the terminal, releasing video footage showing the attack.
The Spirit-030 is a portable satellite communications system used by Russian forces as an alternative to Starlink terminals. Its antenna measures only 30 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter, making the equipment more difficult to detect on the battlefield.
Russian forces began deploying Spirit-030 terminals on a larger scale after March 2026, according to the brigade.
The use of the Spirit-030 comes as Russia is also working to expand its own satellite communications infrastructure. Moscow is continuing to deploy its “Rassvet” satellite constellation, designed as a domestic alternative to Starlink, although the project depends on a steady supply of carrier rockets to place additional satellites into orbit.
The first two batches of Rassvet satellites were launched aboard Soyuz-2.1b rockets manufactured by the Progress Rocket Space Centre in Samara, Defense Express reported on August 13.
According to the outlet, Russia’s capacity to produce carrier rockets remains one of the main constraints on expanding the constellation. Rassvet satellites can also be launched from Russia’s Plesetsk and Vostochny cosmodromes, as well as from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has sought to expand its own access to satellite connectivity for defense operations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a meeting with journalists on August 22 that Kyiv had sought US political approval to extend Starlink access into Russian territory after receiving information that SpaceX had initially agreed to the proposal.
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