Illustrative image. (Bureau 1440)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on October 8 that China was helping Russia develop an alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system, as Moscow’s Rassvet network advances through testing and the presentation of subscriber terminals.
“They are making progress. They are passing this on to Russia,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president’s remarks underscored Kyiv’s growing concern that Moscow could acquire advanced satellite communications capabilities.
Zelensky has already taken his concerns to U.S. President Donald Trump, asking him to impose sanctions on Russian and Chinese companies involved in Rassvet’s development, according to a recent Financial Times report. The request, raised during a meeting in New York in September, reflects Kyiv’s effort to prevent the Russian network from becoming a strategic asset for Moscow.
However, Washington has no straightforward way to stop the project outright. Sanctions would not automatically halt Russia’s domestic satellite program.
Zelensky’s appeals are unfolding as the project moves beyond development announcements and into public demonstrations of its capabilities.
Bureau 1440, the Russian company developing Rassvet, demonstrated a satellite video connection between Moscow and the southern Russian republic of Adygea on October 7. The call lasted about five minutes and used the company’s satellite network, showing that the system can support a live communications session.
At the same Moscow technology forum, Bureau 1440 presented three types of subscriber terminals for the network. One was identified as a serial-production device, while the company said its 1440.ULTRA terminal could support data transmission speeds of up to 700 megabits per second. The equipment is intended to connect users to the satellite constellation once the service becomes operational at scale.
Russia launched batches of Rassvet satellites in March and July, but the network has not yet reached full operational capability. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted in late September that the system was not yet operating effectively.
Zelensky’s repeated warnings and his appeal to Trump to block the Rassvet project point to growing alarm in Kyiv as Russia moves closer to establishing an independent satellite communications network.
With satellites already launched and the company testing connections and preparing user equipment, Zelensky faces the prospect that Russia could soon field a Starlink alternative that Kyiv may be unable to disrupt. His warnings about Chinese assistance suggest that Ukraine is increasingly concerned not only about Russia’s progress, but also about the possibility that outside support could accelerate it.
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