Russia's version of Starlink deploying quicker than planned, Ukraine's military intelligence says
"Moscow is implementing Rassvet, effectively a Russian analogue of the Starlink system. And they have begun launching it significantly faster than was envisaged in their plans," Skibitskyi said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, Ukraine's military intelligence deputy chief, announced on August 10 that Russia is accelerating the deployment of its Rassvet satellite communications system, an imitation of Starlink. Moscow is implementing Rassvet, a domestic analogue to Starlink, and has begun launching the satellites faster than initially planned, according to Skibitskyi's interview with RBC-Ukraine.
The first 16 Rassvet satellites were launched into low Earth orbit in March 2026, with additional batches launched in July, as reported earlier. Skibitskyi stated that Russia aims to deploy a constellation of 292 satellites by 2027, expanding to 924 satellites by 2035. Currently, Rassvet operates intermittently, with satellites passing over the territory.
Once a full constellation is in place, it will function similarly to Starlink. Ukrainian officials are already strategizing ways to counter the system, though specific details were not disclosed. Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Madyar Brovdi, described the development as a "risk for the entire planet," as a dictatorship could gain access to information worldwide.
Russia's continuous efforts to develop alternatives to Starlink, crucial for Ukraine's military communications since the war's onset, have intensified.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
