[77446] Russia is developing 'Rassvet': Is it a parallel threat to Starlink?

The development of the Russian 'Rassvet' satellite project

Russia is advancing the development of a low-Earth orbit satellite system, which serves as a domestic alternative to Starlink technology. According to reports in ТСН новини / ТСН.ua, this is a project known as "Bureau 1440," under which 16 initial "Rassvet" satellites have been launched so far.

Serhii Beskrestnov (known as "Serhii Flash"), an advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, notes that despite the development, "there is currently no full-scale military threat." According to him, as reported on Цензор.НЕТ, at least 200–250 satellites are required to achieve stable communication, while Russian plans speak of deploying about 1,000 devices in the coming years.

In a detailed analysis published by Serhii Flash, he explains that theoretically, the existing satellites can transmit data for a short window of 6–10 minutes while passing over Ukrainian territory, but complex military use, such as operating "Shahed" drones through them, is currently unlikely due to organizational difficulties and missing infrastructure.

Regarding countermeasures, Serhii Flash emphasizes that attempts to jam satellite communication pose a significant technological challenge, as evidenced by the difficulty in disabling similar systems during the four years of the war. However, he noted that he is monitoring the system's traffic data, with the understanding that Russia will not cease efforts to achieve superiority in the field of satellite communication.

The main sources of information, which also include UA Stream, emphasize that Ukraine is closely monitoring the progress of the project and that the system is currently operating primarily in test mode.