At the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on October 28, 2026, Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk and said he was in close contact with American partners, including Musk, about coordinating satellites to avoid interference in orbit. Putin’s statement came as Russia develops Rassvet, a low-Earth-orbit broadband system that Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (DIU) says is intended primarily for military communications.
What Putin said about Musk and satellite coordination
Putin described contact with American partners, including Musk, as a way to keep satellites from getting in one another’s way and maintain order in orbit. His remarks put Rassvet and SpaceX’s Starlink in the same conversation, but the statement itself was Putin’s account of the contact.
Earlier that month, Starlink urged satellite operators to share orbital data and adopt safety practices. NeoTeo covered that earlier request to share orbital data.
DIU’s account of Rassvet’s purpose
DIU describes Rassvet as a low-Earth-orbit broadband data-transmission system with satellites, ground-control infrastructure, gateway stations and user terminals for fixed and mobile facilities. The agency assesses that the project is intended primarily for military communications, including strategic communications, command and control, control of strike platforms, and support for unmanned systems. DIU says planned coverage is primarily intended to include Ukraine and the European Union.
DIU’s War & Sanctions portal lists 49 enterprises involved in the project and identifies Bureau 1440 LLC as Rassvet’s chief developer and system operator. The portal assigns separate launch-related work to Roscosmos and Rocket and Space Center Progress:
| Organization | Responsibility attributed by DIU |
| Bureau 1440 LLC | Chief developer and system operator for Rassvet |
| Roscosmos | Provides launch-site access and handles procedures for placing satellites in orbit |
| Rocket and Space Center Progress | Develops the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle used for Rassvet spacecraft |
Satellite counts and expansion targets
The reported satellite figures describe different counts and snapshots. In March 2026, DIU reported that 16 Rassvet satellites had been placed in orbit. A video description published by The Economist on October 20 said 31 were in orbit and described coverage as patchy for only a few hours per day. In reports published October 28, the BBC described a couple of dozen satellites in orbit, citing online trackers, while The Guardian estimated 26 working satellites.
DIU’s reported expansion targets are 292 satellites by 2027 and 924 by 2035. Those are planned constellation sizes, distinct from the earlier reported counts.
