In an interview with the Associated Press, Vladimir Zelensky’s adviser Sergey Beskrestnov, known by the call sign Flash, said Russia’s Rassvet satellite system is one of the biggest technological challenges facing Ukraine and Europe.

Beskrestnov described it as the leading technological threat posed by Russia at present, arguing that the risk extends beyond Ukraine to the rest of Europe.

He said Russia could gain the ability to control Geran drones over Ukrainian territory in real time through a satellite network within about six months. According to Beskrestnov, some Russian satellites already provide communication windows over Ukraine lasting roughly 30 to 40 minutes as they pass overhead.

The adviser said further development of the system could allow Russian operators to directly control not only Geran drones, but also reconnaissance drones and munitions such as Banderol and Dan-M. In that scenario, he argued, Ukrainian electronic warfare systems currently used to suppress Russian drones could become ineffective.

Ukrainian officials had earlier described Rassvet as a direct threat to NATO. It was also reported that Russian specialists selected an operating band that fully overlaps with frequencies used by the U. S. Iridium satellite system, potentially making it much harder for the alliance to employ electronic warfare measures.