Russia Plans Its Own Alternative to Starlink

Russia plans to launch its own satellite broadband system next year as a smaller version of SpaceX's Starlink network, Alexei Shelobkov, head of Iks Holding, announced at the St Petersburg Economic Forum.

Shelobkov said satellites are already being launched and that testing will begin within weeks, with commercial operations expected to start in 2027.

The project is being developed by Bureau 1440, which in March announced the launch of the first 16 Rassvet satellites into low Earth orbit, with plans to expand the constellation to 900 within a few years. Starlink currently has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit.

The strategic importance of satellite internet has been underscored by the war in Ukraine, where Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries and industrial facilities have drawn attention to the role of connectivity in modern warfare. Some military analysts link the effectiveness of the latest Ukrainian drones to their ability to use Starlink's more jam-resistant network.

Ukraine said in January that Russia was using Starlink terminals to guide drones into Ukrainian territory and that it was working with SpaceX to limit their use. Starlink is banned in Russia and use of its equipment is punishable by fines.

(reuters, bak)