On Oct. 28, 2026, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, HUR, said 49 Russian and Belarusian companies and institutions were involved in developing Rassvet, Russia’s low-Earth-orbit broadband satellite system. HUR also said 23 of the 49, including Roscosmos, were not sanctioned by any country in the international sanctions coalition.
The organizations have different jobs, from directing development to supplying launch access and satellite components.
HUR’s profiles span launch systems and satellite hardware
HUR identifies Bureau 1440 as Rassvet’s lead developer and operator, IKS Holding as directing development and production, Roscosmos as providing launch access, and VTB Bank as an investor. Its Rassvet company profiles also describe more specialized roles.
| Organization | Role HUR attributes to it |
| RCC Progress | Develops the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle used to place Rassvet satellites in orbit. |
| Central Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics | Works on integrating Rassvet with Russian military communications, including planned terminal installation in command vehicles associated with Iskander systems after deployment of a 292-satellite orbital group. |
| Ural Research Institute of Composite Materials | Supplies orbital solar reflectors. |
| Center for Additive Technologies | Supplies satellite-housing blanks. |
| Special Technology Center | Develops and manufactures an analog Ka-band feeder radio block for a Rassvet gateway station. |
These examples range from launch vehicles and military communications to materials and gateway equipment. HUR says the system is being developed primarily for military use and describes terminal integration into command vehicles as a plan.
The Oct. 29 snapshot counted 31 production satellites in orbit
Orbital Radar’s snapshot dated Oct. 29, 2026, counted 31 of 32 production satellites in orbit. It placed 26 at or near its working altitude of about 509 km; three were climbing, one was holding at a lower altitude and one was descending. The remaining satellite had re-entered.
Orbital Radar says production satellites are released at about 300 km and use electric thrusters to climb toward the working orbit, a process that can take weeks to months. The snapshot also said Rassvet was not yet in service and reported that Bureau 1440 expected partial service in 2027.
