Russia Accelerates Rival to Starlink

Russia is developing its own satellite internet system, modeled on Starlink, faster than expected, according to Maj Gen Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the GUR.

Ukraine has maintained a significant advantage in drone operations and battlefield communications through its official use of SpaceX’s Starlink. Russian forces also used gray-market terminals until SpaceX deactivated them at Kyiv’s request.

According to Skibitskyi, the Russian system, known as Rassvet, currently has 16 satellites in orbit and operates intermittently. Moscow plans to expand the constellation to as many as 292 satellites by 2027 and 924 by 2035.

Once the full constellation is complete, Skibitskyi says, Rassvet will be operate in a similar way to Starlink. Ukraine is already looking for ways to counter the system.

Ukrainian intelligence also warns of a sharp increase in Russian arms production. In the first seven months of the year, Moscow had already met its annual production targets for Zircon and Oniks missiles and was exceeding its overall 2026 missile production goals by 10%–20%.

Ukraine’s emerging ballistic missile industry and drone production facilities have meanwhile become priority targets for Russia’s missile campaign. Russia’s stockpile of Iskander-M ballistic missiles is estimated at around 130, with 65 new missiles produced in July alone.

(Reuters, Max)