Russia is accelerating development of its Rassvet low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation to offset the loss of commercial satellite internet access following restrictions imposed by SpaceX. According to reports from the Moscow Times, Moscow has invested 102.8 milliards de roubles, soit près de 1,26 milliard de dollars into the domestic satellite project spearheaded by Bureau 1440, aiming to build a network of hundreds of spacecraft by the next decade.
Project Rassvet and the Shift in Russian Military Communications
The push to establish an independent satellite network follows a decision earlier this year by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to restrict Russian military access to the Starlink network at the request of Ukraine’s defense ministry. Prior to the cutoff, Russian forces utilized the commercial terminals for battlefield communications and to pilot Shahed drones. Without a domestic satellite internet provider comparable to those in the United States, Europe, or China, Russian state entities accelerated the Bureau 1440 initiative.
Global satellite deployment remains dominated by SpaceX, which operates nearly 9 000 active Starlink spacecraft. By comparison, OneWeb operates roughly 700 franco-british satellites, while China’s Guowang project has launched approximately 200 Xingwang craft, as detailed by the review Le Grand Continent.
Deployment Timeline and Expansion Targets
Bureau 1440 initially launched experimental hardware in 2023 under the Rassvet banner, but operations scaled up following Russia’s exclusion from Western commercial networks. In March 2026, 16 additional satellites reached orbit, followed by another successful deployment in July, according to company announcements. Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated on social media that Russia currently maintains approximately 40 Rassvet satellites in orbit.
Current scheduling indicates ambitions to deploy a low-Earth-orbit constellation of 292 satellites covering Eastern Europe regularly by 2027, with plans to expand the fleet to 924 satellites by 2035.
Strategic Implications for Ukraine
Ukrainian military officials have expressed severe concern regarding the prospective coverage. Major-General Vadym Skibitskiy, deputy head of Ukrainian military intelligence, warned POLITICO that the operational system could leave Ukraine vulnerable to broader and more persistent aerial assaults. Beskrestnov noted that an active constellation would enable online drone piloting across the entire country via satellite uplinks.
In response to the developing space infrastructure, Ukrainian forces claimed a tactical strike in late June against a Russian space communications center, reportedly destroying several satellite dishes essential to military data relay. Meanwhile, Kyiv continues diplomatic efforts to persuade SpaceX to authorize Starlink usage across Russian territory to facilitate deeper long-range strikes, an operational exception the company has consistently refused.
Further updates on the deployment of the Rassvet constellation are expected as Bureau 1440 meets its scheduled launch windows toward the 2027 milestone. Readers can share perspectives or join the discussion in the comments below.
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