Ukrainian intelligence claims that Russia is already using the Rasbet satellite network for military communications. Reuters. Russian forces are using their new Rasbet satellite network, believed to be their own version of Starlink, for military communications over Ukraine as they seek to improve the accuracy of their attack drones and make them harder to intercept, Ukrainian military intelligence told Reuters. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, Russia launched 32 Rasbet satellites into orbit this year in two groups in March and July. This is only a tiny fraction of the more than 10,000 satellites in the Starlink network, which is the military version. Star Guardian - works in Ukraine. Access to SpaceX systems significantly helped Kiev in the war. Moscow plans additional launches of the Rasbet system until the end of 2026 to expand the geographical coverage of the network and gradually approach a low-orbit satellite communication system. "Currently, the satellite group is not enough to ensure uninterrupted coverage of the territory of Ukraine: communication is carried out intermittently when satellites fly over the relevant areas," said a statement from GUR representative Andrey Yusov. Rasbet's statement said Rasbet would be able to provide Russia with two-way data exchange with its UAVs over Ukraine, allowing patrolling UAVs to transmit data in real time and pilots to adjust the attack UAV's trajectory mid-flight, reducing reliance on a pre-programmed trajectory. This will allow UAVs to adapt to changes in target location or bypass air defense systems. "In the long term, this can increase the effectiveness of attack and reconnaissance UAVs and make it more difficult for them to be intercepted by electronic warfare and electronic reconnaissance systems," Yusov said. There are some signs that the Rasbet system is already affecting precision strikes by Russian jet UAVs, says security expert Nikolai Zanetsev of Kyiv.

Ukrainian intelligence claims that Russia is already using the Rasbet satellite network for military communications. Reuters. Russian forces are using their new Rasbet satellite network, believed to be their own version of Starlink, for military communications over Ukraine as they seek to improve the accuracy of their attack drones and make them harder to intercept, Ukrainian military intelligence told Reuters. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, Russia launched 32 Rasbet satellites into orbit this year in two groups in March and July. This is only a tiny fraction of the more than 10,000 satellites in the Starlink network, which is the military version. Star Guardian - works in Ukraine. Access to SpaceX systems significantly helped Kiev in the war. Moscow plans additional launches of the Rasbet system until the end of 2026 to expand the geographical coverage of the network and gradually approach a low-orbit satellite communication system. "Currently, the satellite group is not enough to ensure uninterrupted coverage of the territory of Ukraine: communication is carried out intermittently when satellites fly over the relevant areas," said a statement from GUR representative Andrey Yusov. Rasbet's statement said Rasbet would be able to provide Russia with two-way data exchange with its UAVs over Ukraine, allowing patrolling UAVs to transmit data in real time and pilots to adjust the attack UAV's trajectory mid-flight, reducing reliance on a pre-programmed trajectory. This will allow UAVs to adapt to changes in target location or bypass air defense systems. "In the long term, this can increase the effectiveness of attack and reconnaissance UAVs and make it more difficult for them to be intercepted by electronic warfare and electronic reconnaissance systems," Yusov said. There are some signs that the Rasbet system is already affecting precision strikes by Russian jet UAVs, says security expert Nikolai Zanetsev of Kyiv.