Russia's Rassvet Has 30 Satellites and Needs 200. Kyiv Says It Is Already in Military Use
Ukraine's military intelligence says Russia's Rassvet network already carries military traffic over Ukraine when its satellites pass overhead. Thirty are in orbit, stable coverage takes 200 or more, and Moscow's Security Council wants production scaled up fast.
Ukraine's military intelligence says the network already carries Russian military traffic in the gaps when its satellites pass overhead. Moscow's Security Council wants production scaled up fast.
Russia's Rassvet network matters militarily at a fraction of Starlink's size. On Nov. 6, Ukraine's military intelligence agency, HUR, told Reuters in a written statement that Moscow is using it over Ukraine for military purposes. The constellation cannot provide uninterrupted coverage. A drone operator may need less than that: a window long enough to pull video or change a route.
HUR's statement and the satellite count
"Russia is using the 'Rassvet' satellite system over the territory of Ukraine for military purposes," HUR spokesman Andrii Yusov said. Coverage is intermittent, available when satellites pass over the relevant areas. HUR counted 32 satellites launched in two batches, in March and July, with more launches planned before the end of the year.
The agency assessed that Rassvet may give Russia two-way data exchange with its unmanned aircraft. Reconnaissance drones could transmit in real time, and pilots could change an attack drone's route in flight instead of leaving it on a pre-programmed path. Over the longer term, Yusov warned, that could make the drones harder for electronic warfare and electronic intelligence systems to intercept.
Two of the 32 satellites have since burned up, leaving 30 in orbit, according to Defense Express and independent trackers. Serhii Beskrestnov, a defence-technology adviser to Ukraine's president, has put the number needed for stable communications at 200 to 250.
Kyiv-based security expert Mykola Zientsev wrote in a recent report that Russia already has "at least two high-quality satellite communications windows every day, each lasting more than an hour," and that this "is enough to have operational consequences." He sees some signs of an effect on precision strikes by Russian jet-powered drones.
The Scientific and Expert Council of Russia's Security Council said the same day that it is necessary "to rapidly scale up the mass production of communications satellites and terminal equipment," and government agencies were told to prepare proposals for full-scale deployment. Starlink, by comparison, has more than 10,000 satellites.
Russia's defence ministry and Bureau 1440, the company building Rassvet, did not immediately respond to Reuters. If HUR is right, the open question is how quickly Russia can enlarge the network.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Ukraine's military intelligence say about Rassvet?
In a written statement to Reuters on Nov. 6, HUR spokesman Andrii Yusov said Russia is using the Rassvet satellite system over Ukrainian territory for military purposes. He said the constellation is too small for uninterrupted coverage, so communication is available only when satellites pass over the relevant areas.
What is Rassvet?
Rassvet, meaning Dawn, is a low-Earth-orbit broadband satellite network built by the Russian company Bureau 1440 and often described as Russia's version of Starlink. Russia launched 32 satellites in two batches in March and July 2026, and Bureau 1440 has said it plans more than 900 by 2035.
How many Rassvet satellites are working?
Thirty remain in orbit after two burned up, one in early June and one at the end of October, according to Defense Express and trackers using the US NORAD catalog. Twenty-six sit near 500 kilometres, and none has reached the 800-kilometre working orbit the company has stated.
How could Rassvet change Russian drone strikes?
HUR says the network may allow two-way data exchange with drones, so reconnaissance drones can send data in real time and pilots can change an attack drone's route in flight. Security expert Mykola Zientsev estimates Russia already has at least two communications windows a day of more than an hour each.
How many satellites does Russia need for stable coverage?
Presidential defence-technology adviser Serhii Beskrestnov has put the number at 200 to 250 for stable communications. He told the Associated Press in October that full coverage of Ukraine could come in about six months.
What is Ukraine doing about it?
President Volodymyr Zelensky sanctioned 10 companies and 19 Russian citizens tied to Rassvet on Oct. 30, including Bureau 1440. HUR has published a list of 49 companies and institutions involved, Kyiv has asked the ITU to exclude Ukrainian territory from the network's service area, and Ukraine said in August it struck the Samara plant that builds the Soyuz rockets used to launch the satellites.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Below this point
- 32 launched, 30 left
- What two windows buy
- 93.5 billion rubles a year
- Kyiv targets launches and components
- The next launches and terminal recoveries
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.