Photo: Serhii Flash/Telegram
Russian satellites are already providing temporary communications coverage over Ukraine, and Moscow could achieve coverage across the entire country within approximately six months, Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian presidential adviser on defence technology known by the call sign Flash, has warned.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Beskrestnov said the planned expansion of Russia’s satellite network, known as Rassvet, could enable Russian forces to control attack drones and missiles in real time.
“This is the number one danger for me among the technological challenges Russia is creating for us right now. And not just for Ukraine, but for Europe as well. This really will be a major catastrophe for everyone,” Flash said.
According to Beskrestnov, satellite connectivity could allow Russian operators to control drones and missiles directly, potentially reducing the effectiveness of Ukrainian electronic warfare systems that disrupt communications signals. It could also enable Russia to carry out precision strikes against targets anywhere in Ukraine in real time.
Flash noted that Russian satellites already provide temporary coverage when passing over Ukrainian territory, with communications available for around 30–40 minutes during each pass.
Ukraine is exploring countermeasures, including possible sanctions. However, Beskrestnov said the challenge was difficult because Russia’s engineers may have been able to test their jamming capabilities against functioning Starlink equipment, while Ukraine must prepare defences against a Russian system that has not yet reached full operational capacity.
“We need to act. By the time Russia starts using this to attack our infrastructure and us, we must already have developed countermeasures, manufactured them in large quantities and deployed them for protection,” Flash added.
Earlier, a Ukrainian defence forces officer using the call sign Alex reported that, after Russian troops lost access to Starlink terminals, they began using alternative satellite communications systems. These systems, however, were considered less capable than Starlink and required more precise positioning to maintain a stable signal.
Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, has also said Russia is developing its own Starlink alternative faster than expected. Moscow plans to put nearly 300 satellites into orbit by 2027, with the completed constellation intended to operate on a principle similar to Starlink.
Satellite communications expert Volodymyr Stepanets has separately reported that satellites from the Rassvet network, developed by Russia’s Bureau 1440, are already providing at least two communications windows over Ukraine each day, each lasting more than an hour.
The loss of Starlink access has significantly disrupted communications among Russian military units, increasing the urgency for Moscow to establish an independent satellite network.
