Russia likely mass-producing satellites with Chinese components: Ukraine

Kyiv (Kyodo) — Intelligence obtained by Ukraine's military suggests Russia is mass-producing small satellites for its Rassvet communications network using components sourced from China, sparking alarm over potential expansion of remotely operated drone operations in Ukraine. The network, meaning "dawn" in Russian, could enable Russian forces to deploy first-person-view drones over wider areas through live video feeds.

Currently, drones are primarily utilized near the front lines due to communication limitations. A Ukrainian military source warns that completing the network by year-end or early 2027 would pose a significant threat globally, as Rassvet could rival U.S. satellite communications provider SpaceX's Starlink. Last year, Russia started employing Chinese-made integrated circuits from Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group Co. in its satellites, transitioning towards mass production.

Prototype satellites in 2023 reportedly utilized chips from U.S. company Advanced Micro Devices Inc. This year, Russia launched 32 satellites from its Plesetsk Cosmodrome, with 16 launched in March and another 16 in July, according to the Ukrainian military source. Despite the network's limited coverage, providing only two to four and a half hours of availability over Ukrainian territory daily, experts estimate about 250 satellites would be required for comprehensive operations.

In August, Ukraine petitioned the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union to deny Rassvet access to frequencies over Ukrainian territory, arguing its military nature. The U.S. government sanctioned Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics in September 2023, accusing the company of supplying military technology to the Russian armed forces.