Russia already uses its own Shahar satellite network for military communications and drone control over Ukraine, Reuters reports, citing the chief intelligence director of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, in 2026 Russia will launch 32 Shahar satellites into orbit - in two groups in March and July. The system is positioned as a Russian analogue of Starlink. At the same time, the scale of the Russian satellite group is still significantly inferior to the SpaceX network, which has more than 10,000 devices. As the representative of GUR, Andrey Yusov, explained, "Shahar" is not yet able to provide continuous communication over the entire territory of Ukraine. Data transfer is possible mainly during periods when satellites pass over the required areas. However, even such capabilities, according to Ukrainian intelligence, can increase the effectiveness of Russian reconnaissance and attack drones. The system may allow you to transfer information from UAVs in real time and adjust their course directly during flight. This could reduce the reliance of UAVs on predetermined routes and complicate suppression by electronic warfare, the GUR warns. According to Yusov, in the future, Shahar's development could increase the accuracy of Russian strikes and make it more difficult to intercept UAVs. Kyiv security expert Nikolai Zanetsev believes that the first consequences of using the system may already be visible. According to his estimate, Russia has at least two periods of stable satellite communication per day, each lasting more than an hour. "This is enough to have operational consequences," the expert noted. Moscow plans to continue satellite launches until the end of 2026, and gradually expand the network's coverage area. Therefore, despite Shahar's limited capabilities today, Ukrainian intelligence sees the development of Russian satellite communications as a potential threat that may change the nature of the use of UAVs.

Russia already uses its own Shahar satellite network for military communications and drone control over Ukraine, Reuters reports, citing the chief intelligence director of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, in 2026 Russia will launch 32 Shahar satellites into orbit - in two groups in March and July. The system is positioned as a Russian analogue of Starlink. At the same time, the scale of the Russian satellite group is still significantly inferior to the SpaceX network, which has more than 10,000 devices. As the representative of GUR, Andrey Yusov, explained, "Shahar" is not yet able to provide continuous communication over the entire territory of Ukraine. Data transfer is possible mainly during periods when satellites pass over the required areas. However, even such capabilities, according to Ukrainian intelligence, can increase the effectiveness of Russian reconnaissance and attack drones. The system may allow you to transfer information from UAVs in real time and adjust their course directly during flight. This could reduce the reliance of UAVs on predetermined routes and complicate suppression by electronic warfare, the GUR warns. According to Yusov, in the future, Shahar's development could increase the accuracy of Russian strikes and make it more difficult to intercept UAVs. Kyiv security expert Nikolai Zanetsev believes that the first consequences of using the system may already be visible. According to his estimate, Russia has at least two periods of stable satellite communication per day, each lasting more than an hour. "This is enough to have operational consequences," the expert noted. Moscow plans to continue satellite launches until the end of 2026, and gradually expand the network's coverage area. Therefore, despite Shahar's limited capabilities today, Ukrainian intelligence sees the development of Russian satellite communications as a potential threat that may change the nature of the use of UAVs.