On November 6, Reuters reported that Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU/GUR) says Russia is using its Rassvet low-Earth-orbit satellite network for military communications over Ukraine. The GUR says connections are intermittent, available when satellites pass over relevant areas.
The GUR’s account describes intermittent communications over Ukraine, while its wider military integrations remain plans.
What the GUR says the satellite link could do
The GUR says Rassvet could support two-way data exchange with unmanned aircraft. In its account, surveillance drones could send data in real time, while pilots of attack drones could adjust routes during flight. These are potential uses attributed to the GUR.
Mykola Zientsev, a Kyiv-based security expert, estimated that Russia had at least two high-quality satellite communication windows a day, each lasting more than an hour. His estimate describes separate windows of connectivity, consistent with the GUR’s account of intermittent coverage.
Rassvet’s infrastructure and planned military role
The GUR describes Rassvet as a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) broadband system made up of satellites, ground-control infrastructure, gateway stations, and user terminals for fixed and mobile platforms. It identifies Bureau 1440, part of X Holding, as the project’s main responsible company. (GUR project disclosure)
The GUR lists broader military integrations as plans: strategic communications, troop command and control, control of strike platforms, terminals on command posts and military vehicles, support for unmanned systems, missile targeting, and terminals on Iskander-M command vehicles.
The GUR said 32 Rassvet satellites had been launched in two batches, in March and July 2026. Reuters also reported that Bureau 1440 planned a constellation of more than 900 satellites by 2035.
