Daniel Wolfram
This could change the way the war is being fought both on the ground and in the sky.
The war between Russia and Ukraine relies heavily on modern technology.
For years, the telecommunications service Starlink has provided Ukraine with the upper hand on the battlefield.
But now it seems as though Russia is building its own version of it. And it is coming sooner than expected.
Fast satellite rollout
Russia is speeding up the launch of its new satellite telecommunications service, known as Rassvet. Ukrainian officials report that Moscow is moving more quickly than anticipated in producing an alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink network.
Moscow plans to build a constellation of 292 satellites by 2027 to ensure continuous coverage across conflict zones. The goal is to create 924 new satellites by 2035.
Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, the deputy chief of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence service, recently detailed the rapid expansion during an interview.
“They have already begun launching it much faster than originally planned,” Skibitskyi said. “It will continue launching more in order to create a constellation of 292 satellites in 2027 and expand it to 924 satellites by 2035,” Skibitskyi noted.
Building the network
The system is developed by the Russian aerospace firm Bureau 1440. The network currently only works sparingly. But Ukraine is sounding the alarm that the Russian Starlink will soon be fully operational.
“Once Russia deploys a full satellite constellation, the system will operate like Starlink,” Skibitskyi warned. “Discussions are already underway on how to counter it.”
Starlink remains banned inside Russia, while it serves as a critical backbone for Ukrainian defence. The high-speed internet helps Kyiv coordinate complex drone operations to combat Russian strikes within Ukraine.
The new system could change the power dynamics
Control over orbital internet access has caused intense friction throughout the war. The head of SpaceX, Elon Musk, controversially blocked Ukraine from using Starlink for drone strikes inside Russian territory, citing fears of wider escalation.
Russian forces had also secretly used Starlink terminals on the front line for months. However, Russian access was blocked after Ukraine successfully persuaded SpaceX to deactivate those unauthorized devices earlier this year.
Catching up to SpaceX will require an enormous industrial effort from Moscow. Starlink maintains over 10,000 active satellites in orbit.
