Ukraine urges US sanctions on Russia’s Starlink knockoff amid drone threat
Kyiv will provide Washington and Congress with details of companies and individuals supporting the Rassvet network, Ukraine’s acting ambassador to the U.S., Denys Sienik, said, Reuters reported on Sept. 30.
Ukraine is requesting American sanctions to impede Russia's progress with the Rassvet satellite network, which would enable Moscow to control attack drones across Ukraine. Denys Sienik, Ukraine's acting ambassador to the U.S., will supply Washington and Congress with details of companies and individuals backing the Rassvet network, as reported by Reuters on September 30.
Since February, Russian Starlink terminals have been restricted, enabling only verified devices to connect. The Rassvet satellite network could grant Russian forces their own satellite link for controlling drones over long distances, as warned by Presidential technology adviser Serhii Beskrestnov, also known as Flash, on Telegram last month.
He stated that Rassvet could facilitate remotely piloted attacks throughout Ukraine while Ukrainian forces are unable to utilize Starlink over Russian territory. Russia's Bureau 1440, a part of IKS Holding, claims to have launched the initial 16 satellites of their intended communications constellation on March 23 and a supplementary batch on July 20.
A Russian government information portal announced commercial operations were slated for 2027, with testing scheduled in 2026. Additionally, Ukraine has targeted Russia's space industry, with President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing on August 15 that Flamingo missiles struck the Progress plant in Samara Oblast. Beskrestnov attributed the factory to rockets used for Rassvet launches, but stated that the impact on their schedule remained uncertain.
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