Sergei Beskrestnov, an adviser to Vladimir Zelensky, has said Russia’s Rassvet satellite system, described as an analogue of Starlink, could significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces.
According to Beskrestnov, once a full orbital constellation is deployed, Russian forces could gain more stable communications on the battlefield. He also noted that Ukrainian forces still cannot use Starlink over Russian territory.
Beskrestnov said the main concern is that Ukraine is currently unable to use Starlink for real-time control of UAVs over Russia because the service does not operate there. By contrast, he argued that Russian forces could eventually use their own satellites to control drones online during strikes across Ukraine.
Earlier, Vadim Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, said Moscow was deploying the Rassvet system faster than initially expected. He said its current capabilities remain limited and depend on satellites passing over Ukrainian territory. Once a full orbital constellation is established, however, he expects the system to operate on a model similar to Starlink.
At the end of March, Bureau 1440 successfully launched the first 16 satellites of the low-Earth-orbit Rassvet constellation. The spacecraft are equipped with a communications system based on 5G NTN architecture, an upgraded power system, next-generation inter-satellite laser communication terminals and a plasma propulsion system.