Ukraine wants to limit development of Russia's Starlink rival through US sanctions
Ukraine has called on the US to impose sanctions against Russian companies and other structures helping to develop the Rassvet satellite network - Russia's alternative to Starlink. Kyiv believes that the system's launch in 2027 may pose additional risks to Ukraine.
This was reported by Reuters citing Deputy Head of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Washington Denys Senik. According to him, Russia is rapidly building up the Rassvet satellite constellation, and Ukraine plans to provide the US government and Congress with information about companies and individuals that Kyiv considers involved in the system's development.
The Ukrainian side fears that full deployment of the network will give the Russian military additional capabilities for real-time data transmission and use of satellite communications in military operations. That is why Kyiv wants to achieve restrictions before the system becomes fully operational.
Rassvet is being developed by Russia's "Bureau 1440". In 2026, the company carried out two serial launches of 16 satellites each. At the same time, the actual readiness of the network is still significantly behind the announced plans. According to the Ukrainian International Strategy Center, as of early September only 13 of the 32 serial spacecraft had entered the observed group at orbits of about 509-514 km, and the second batch of satellites was moving to operational orbits more slowly.
The Russian state plan envisages deployment of 292 operational satellites by the end of 2027. Analysts note that the current launch pace makes this schedule very tight. There is currently no independent confirmation that Rassvet already provides stable broadband communication, seamless handover between satellites, and jamming resistance.
Meanwhile, the threat is no longer purely theoretical. A representative of Ukraine's military intelligence told Janes that by the end of July Russian forces had already used the first group of Rassvet satellites for satellite communications over Ukraine for several hours. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine noted that such capabilities potentially could be used for real-time data transmission and control of reconnaissance and strike drones.
A separate problem is the Russian project's dependence on imported technologies. According to OSINT research analyzed by UISC, the production network of Rassvet includes over 1,300 companies. In 2025, "Bureau 1440" could have imported equipment worth about $68 million, in particular through Chinese and Turkish suppliers. Particularly sensitive for the project remain radiation-tolerant electronics, orientation systems, optics, phased array antennas, plasma thrusters, and measurement equipment. UISC emphasizes that these data are the result of OSINT analysis, not audited company reporting.
Analysts also draw attention to sanction gaps. "X Holding", the structure to which the project belongs, is already under US restrictions, but "Bureau 1440" itself and some of the system's major suppliers, according to the research, remain outside certain Western sanctions lists. Ukraine has already proposed that partners expand sanctions to structures associated with Rassvet.
Thus, Kyiv's main goal now is not to wait for the completion of the Russian satellite constellation, but to try to hinder its scaling through sanctions, export restrictions, and cutting off supplies of critical components.
Based on materials from: Reuters, Ukrainian International Strategy Center, Janes
