Study: Rassvet Satellites Could Already Offer Russia an Alternative to Starlink

Russian Rassvet satellites may already be capable of providing a Starlink-like alternative over Ukraine for the Russian military.

This is according to a new study published by Militarnyi.

Analysts tracked the paths of three fully operational prototype satellites from Bureau 1440 and observed them moving in orbit as a tight, coordinated group.

During the observations, it was found that the satellites regularly pass directly over Ukraine.

Each pass creates a so-called “operational window” for internet connectivity lasting about 15–20 minutes, allowing communication sessions to take place.

Researchers emphasize that even this limited configuration already opens up possibilities for practical military use.

With optimal satellite spacing, taking into account the needs of the Russian Armed Forces, the system’s effectiveness increases significantly.

In particular, the first batch of 16 satellites could provide regular communication “windows” several times a day.

The total duration of these sessions could reach several hours per day.

“This highlights the need for the immediate development of countermeasures without waiting for the full deployment of the network, as initial use cases may begin well before that,” the study notes.

The satellites are used not only for communication between military units but also for controlling drones via satellite terminals, as Russian forces previously did with Starlink until access to it was restricted.

In this context, the emergence of a Russian analog like the Rassvet system could create additional risks related to controlling drones and other strike systems in real time.