Russia has likely begun mass production of small satellites for its Rassvet communications network using electronic components from China. This is according to intelligence data available to the Ukrainian army, cited by the Japanese agency Kyodo.
The network is conceived as a Russian competitor to Starlink, the satellite communications service of the American company SpaceX. Its military application could be related to controlling drones with a first-person view by transmitting real-time video from onboard cameras.
Currently, FPV drones are mainly used near the front line due to communication limitations. According to a source in the Ukrainian army, Russia could start using the “Rasvet“ by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
32 satellites launched this year
The Ukrainian army claims that Russia began using integrated circuits from the Chinese “Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group“ in 2025, when it moved to preparing for mass production. The prototypes tested in 2023 were equipped with chips from the American company “AMD“.
According to a Ukrainian military source, Russia launched 32 satellites from the “Plesetsk“ cosmodrome in 2026. The first group of 16 devices was put into orbit in March, and the second - in July.
Due to the relatively small number of satellites “Rasvet“ does not yet have a constant coverage over Ukraine. According to estimates, the network can be accessed there for between two and four and a half hours a day. For full operation, about 250 satellites will be needed.
Ukraine requests frequency restrictions
In August, Ukraine asked the International Telecommunication Union not to allocate frequencies for “Rasvet“ over Ukrainian territory. Kiev argued its request by claiming that the network would be used for military purposes.
The development of the project is also being monitored due to the origin of the components used. In September 2025, the US government included “Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics“ in a sanctions list, accusing the company of providing military technology to the Russian armed forces.
Data on the mass production and future military use of “Rasvet“ were presented by the Ukrainian side. At present, they have not been independently confirmed by Russian institutions or the company associated with the construction of the network.
Sources: bta.bg, janes.com