Russia is speeding up the creation of its own Starlink analogue, which will allow it to control attack drones deep inside the territory of Ukraine, the Financial Times writes.
We are talking about the Rasbet satellite communications system, which Moscow expects to fully launch in 2027. It is supposed to provide video transmission and control of drones in real time over long distances, including for hitting moving targets.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the system can also be used to transmit target coordinates to missile systems.
"The biggest danger is not only that Russia will get an alternative to Starlink, but that relatively cheap attack drones will become weapons capable of detecting, tracking and hitting moving targets deep in the territory of Ukraine."
- said a former adviser on defense and intelligence issues of Ukraine Alexander Danilyuk.
According to him, given the increase in Russian production of UAVs, this may significantly increase the effectiveness of attacks on Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure.
Experts warn that the appearance of such a system will pose a threat to Europe as well, as it will allow control of UAVs anywhere in the satellite's coverage area.
However, the implementation of the project encountered severe difficulties. Satellite launches are behind schedule, and production is heavily dependent on Chinese technology.
According to experts, Rasbet is now able to provide communication for no more than three hours a day, and continuously for a maximum of 50 minutes.
To fully deploy the system, Russia will need at least 16-17 additional satellite launches. An expert at the Center for European Policy Analysis, Pavel Luzin, believes that it is unlikely that Moscow will have time to implement them before the end of 2027.