Russia's version of Starlink deploying quicker than planned, Ukraine's military intelligence says
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Russia is accelerating the deployment of its Rassvet satellite communications system, a domestic equivalent of Starlink, faster than previously planned, Ukraine's military intelligence deputy chief, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, said on Aug. 10.
"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.
Russia launched its first 16 Rassvet satellites into low Earth orbit in March 2026 and is continuing to expand the constellation, according to Skibitskyi. Earlier reports said a second batch of satellites was launched in July.
Skibitskyi added that Russia plans to build a constellation of 292 satellites by 2027 and expand it to 924 satellites by 2035.
"At the moment, they can operate only intermittently, when a satellite passes over our territory. When the Russians deploy a full constellation of satellites, this system will work like Starlink," Skibitskyi said.
Skibitskyi also said Ukrainian officials are already discussing how to counter the system, without providing details.
In an interview with AP published Aug. 10, Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert "Madyar" Brovdi described the development as a "risk for the entire planet."
"Because a dictatorship will gain access to information across the whole globe," he added.
Russia continues developing alternatives to Starlink, which has played a key role in Ukraine's military communications since the beginning of the full-scale war. In February, Ukraine said unauthorized Starlink terminals used by Russian forces had been deactivated following coordination between the Defense Ministry and SpaceX, an effort in which former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov played a key role.
The network has already suffered a setback — one of the 16 operational satellites launched in March was lost, leaving 15 in orbit, Russian state-controlled newspaper Kommersant reported in June.
Rassvet is being developed by Russia's Bureau 1440 as a low-Earth-orbit broadband satellite network intended to provide high-speed internet connectivity. Russia has said the system is intended to begin commercial operations in 2027, while Ukrainian officials have warned it could eventually have military applications, including communications and drone control.
