Zelensky Warns China Is Helping Russia Develop Starlink Rival

Rassvet is a Russian satellite communications network intended to provide internet and military connectivity. Its importance comes from the role satellite links play in modern warfare, including command, reconnaissance, logistics, and unmanned weapons systems.

The system is being built by Bureau 1440, a Moscow-based organization. It is designed to operate about 800 kilometers above Earth and connect satellites with laser links and a ground-based 5G network.

Rassvet remains much smaller than Starlink and has experienced technical problems after early launches. Russian officials and Ukrainian representatives say the network could become operational in 2027, potentially giving Russia more reliable military communications over Ukraine.

China is reportedly assisting Russia with the development of Rassvet, particularly as Moscow works to improve the system after early technical difficulties. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Beijing was helping Russia build a system similar to Starlink.

The reported support may involve satellite technology, electronics, and improved systems. Intellinews said Bureau 1440’s September work was likely being conducted with Chinese assistance. Russia has also acknowledged buying electronic components from China after Western sanctions blocked critical imports.

The cooperation could form part of military-technical ties involving China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, informally called CRINK. The article links this partnership to combining Russia’s missiles and drones with China’s electronics capabilities, though the reported assistance is still described as developing rather than fully operational.

Rassvet is designed around satellites orbiting about 800 kilometers, or 500 miles, above Earth. The network is intended to support communications across large areas, including military communications that could remain available when conventional infrastructure is damaged or disrupted.

Its satellites will use laser links to communicate with one another. The system will also connect with a ground-based 5G network, creating a combined space-and-ground communications architecture rather than relying on satellites alone.

The network is still developing. Initial launches took place in July and August, but milbloggers reported widespread technical difficulties. Bureau 1440 later said it was working on improved systems. The article reports that China may be helping with those improvements as Russia works toward operations in 2027.

Rassvet is currently a small experimental network compared with Starlink’s constellation of thousands of satellites. Its limited size means it cannot yet provide the broad, continuous coverage associated with a mature satellite network.

Over Ukraine, connectivity has been unreliable because a user can connect only when a Rassvet satellite is overhead. With relatively few satellites, long gaps can occur between passes. The article says this has made the system’s capabilities over Ukraine erratic.

Russia aims to launch enough satellites for continuous coverage of its military communications. Ukrainian officials warn that the network could become operational in 2027. If that expansion succeeds, Rassvet’s coverage could become substantially more persistent and useful for Russian forces.

Continuous satellite communications would strengthen Russia’s ability to coordinate military operations across Ukraine. Reliable links could support command networks, reconnaissance, logistics, and unmanned weapons systems, especially where ground infrastructure has been destroyed or disrupted.

Denys Sienik, a Ukrainian embassy official, said Russia could use an expanded Rassvet network to target Ukrainian targets in real time anywhere in the country. The article also connects satellite communications with Russian drones, missiles, and other military systems.

The potential threat extends beyond battlefield units. Anton Gerashchenko said the network could eventually support attacks involving drone swarms against factories, airfields, ports, and energy sites in Europe. These consequences depend on Rassvet moving from its current experimental stage to continuous operational coverage.

Satellite communications are important because modern forces depend on reliable links between commanders and units. They help transmit information for command networks, reconnaissance, logistics, and operations involving unmanned weapons systems.

The war in Ukraine has demonstrated this dependence. Starlink has provided connectivity in places where conventional communications infrastructure was destroyed or disrupted. That connection can help forces coordinate movements, share observations, and operate systems across difficult environments.

The article also shows how access can affect military operations. Ukrainian access to Starlink has been limited for deep strikes into Russia, while China is reportedly developing countermeasures that could include laser weapons against satellites. Rassvet matters because Russia seeks a similar communications capability of its own.

Low-Earth-orbit internet systems place satellites relatively close to Earth and use them to relay data between user terminals and ground stations. Because each satellite covers only part of the planet, networks need many satellites working together.

As Earth moves beneath the satellites, one spacecraft passes out of useful range while another comes into view. The user’s connection can then transfer between satellites, helping maintain coverage across wider areas. Satellites may also communicate with one another through links such as lasers.

The article specifically says Rassvet will use satellites, inter-satellite laser links, and a ground-based 5G network. It does not explain the general mechanics of low-Earth-orbit internet in detail. Rassvet’s current gaps over Ukraine show why a larger constellation is needed for continuous coverage.