Vladimir Zelensky repeatedly asked US President Donald Trump to take action against Russia’s Rassvet satellite communications system, which is viewed as an alternative to the American Starlink network, he told the Financial Times.

Zelensky said he urged Trump to block the Russian system and impose sanctions on companies involved in its development. He described Rassvet as a serious threat to Ukraine because it allows Russia to improve the accuracy of its airstrikes.

The issue was raised with Trump on several occasions, according to Zelensky. The two also discussed Rassvet during their meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Reports emerged in early September that Russia had begun actively deploying its own Rassvet satellite communications system. The network is regarded as a Russian competitor to Starlink.

Ukraine has described the Rassvet satellites as a serious threat to its armed forces. The Kremlin, meanwhile, has expressed hope that the effectiveness of the Russian satellite system will increase in the near future.