"Rasut"; What is Starlink's Russian competitor and why does it matter?

🖋️ Surveillance department

BBC

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of the Russian Security Council, warned that if the US intervenes in "Rasut", a new satellite system that Russia is developing, there will be a "full-scale war in space".

According to him, such a confrontation will happen if America wants to disrupt the activity of Russia's nascent satellite system "Rasut". These statements were made after it was reported that Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, demanded that America impose sanctions or "block" this project.

Medvedev wrote on the X social network: "[Zelensky's] request to 'block' Russia's Rasot satellites can only be their destruction, a sure way to reach a full-scale war in space." I hope America understands this. Otherwise, Starlink satellites will drop like flies. The place is crowded, so mutual respect is essential."

It is clear that this project is important for Moscow. On September 27, 2026, the Kremlin expressed hope that the system "will be put into practice as soon as possible." But what exactly is this system and when can it be operational?