- Russia has launched 32 Rassvet satellites, though coverage remains limited
- Rassvet remains vastly smaller than Starlink’s expanding satellite constellation today
- Russia plans 156 satellite launches in 2026, 292 in 2027, 318 in 2028, and about 900 in 2035
Russia has launched 32 Rassvet communications satellites as Moscow works toward building a domestic network capable of competing with Starlink.
The current fleet, however, remains too small to provide continuous service, while reported orbital problems have raised further doubts about progress.
Russia still plans commercial operations from 2027, although reaching that stage depends on expanding the constellation and overcoming serious technical limitations.
Thirty-two satellites leave Russia far from continuous coverage
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence chief, Oleh Ivashchenko, said the existing constellation cannot yet deliver reliable communications across the areas Russia intends to serve.
“We know that today the Russians are trying to put satellites into orbit. But so far, there are not enough of them, and their effectiveness is low,” said Oleh Ivashchenko, chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence.
Ivashchenko did not disclose the spacecraft’s orbital paths, operating frequency, or the Ukrainian regions where the system currently provides coverage.
However, he maintains that Rassvet remains far smaller than Starlink, which has more than 12,000 satellites in orbit and continues adding around 200 spacecraft each month.
The much smaller constellation means Rassvet cannot yet provide the same level of continuous coverage as Starlink.
Moscow has committed 102.8 billion rubles, or about $1.3 billion, to Rassvet as part of efforts to establish domestic broadband connectivity.
Russia plans to launch 156 satellites in 2026, followed by another 292 spacecraft by 2027, when authorities expect commercial operations to begin.
The programme ultimately aims for 318 satellites by 2028, while later plans envisage expanding the network from 250 spacecraft toward 900 by 2035.
Those figures reveal the scale of work remaining, since the existing fleet represents only a fraction of Russia’s planned communications infrastructure.
Technical problems could make expansion considerably harder
Reports indicate that some Rassvet spacecraft faced difficulty gaining altitude, with certain satellites drifting downward after reaching orbit.
Defense Express reported on August 25 2026 that one Rassvet-3 communications satellite was lost, while two others faced possible atmospheric reentry.
Such incidents could complicate Russia’s schedule because each failed spacecraft reduces the already limited constellation and creates additional pressure on future launches.
Building the planned network would require at least 18 Soyuz-2.1b missions, despite Russia currently carrying out only six to eight launches annually.
The launch requirement therefore creates another obstacle, especially if replacement spacecraft become necessary after further technical failures during orbital operations.
Rassvet could eventually provide communications links for unmanned aircraft and military units operating beyond the practical limits of conventional radio systems.
That possibility gained greater attention after Ukraine and SpaceX restricted unauthorized Starlink terminals reportedly used by Russian forces during February 2026.
“We are working on this. Russia’s ‘Rassvet svg’ must turn into a ‘zakat svg,’” said Oleh Ivashchenko, chief of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence.
Russia continues developing Rassvet despite these setbacks, but the current constellation remains unable to provide continuous connectivity expected from a fully operating network.
