Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Russia's Starlink-style Rassvet network growing faster than expected, Kyiv says
Russia is building its own internet-from-space system, similar to Elon Musk's Starlink.
Right now, Russia has 16 satellites in a network called Rassvet.
Ukraine's spy chief says Russia is launching these satellites faster than anyone expected.
Russia wants about 292 satellites by 2027 and 924 by 2035.
When all those satellites are up, the system will work like Starlink.
Starlink helps Ukraine's soldiers talk to each other and fly drones.
Ukraine had asked SpaceX to turn off Starlink terminals that Russian soldiers were secretly using.
Now Ukraine is already thinking about how to stop Russia's new system.
Russia is also making lots of fast missiles.
Ukraine says Russia met its yearly missile goals in just seven months, which is why Ukraine is worried about the future.
Ukraine's GUR intelligence says Russia's Rassvet satellite system currently has 16 satellites in orbit and is launching them faster than planned.
Russia plans to expand Rassvet to 292 satellites by 2027 and 924 by 2035, according to Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitskyi.
Rassvet currently operates only intermittently when satellites pass over Ukrainian territory, but would function like Starlink once fully deployed.
Russian forces had used grey-market Starlink terminals in Ukraine until Kyiv lobbied SpaceX to disable them earlier this year.
Russia met annual production targets for Zircon and Oniks missiles within seven months and is exceeding its 2026 missile production goals by 10% to 20%.
- Who
- Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service, speaking to RBC-Ukraine
- What
- Russia is rolling out its Rassvet satellite internet system faster than expected, planning 292 satellites by 2027 and 924 by 2035
- When
- Reported August 10, per the Reuters article dateline
- Where
- Announced from Kyiv, Ukraine; the satellites operate over Ukrainian territory
- Why
- Russia aims to counter Ukraine's battlefield advantage from SpaceX's Starlink, which supports drone operations and communications, while also accelerating missile production
- Satellite system
- Rassvet
- Current satellites in orbit
- 16
- Planned satellites by 2027
- 292
- Planned satellites by 2035
- 924
- Current capability
- Operates intermittently only when satellites pass over Ukrainian territory
- Source
- Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitskyi in an interview with RBC-Ukraine
- Missile production
- Zircon and Oniks annual targets met in seven months; 2026 goals exceeded by 10-20%
- Iskander-M stockpile
- Estimated at around 130 missiles, with 65 produced in July