Russia is rolling out its own version of the Starlink satellite internet system faster than expected and plans to have nearly 300 satellites in orbit by 2027, according to a Ukrainian intelligence official.
SpaceX's Starlink network, which operates in Ukraine but not Russia, has given Kyiv a major advantage in drone operations and battlefield communications.
Russian forces had been using gray-market Starlink terminals in Ukraine until Kyiv successfully lobbied SpaceX to disable them earlier this year, one of several factors that shifted battlefield momentum in Ukraine's favor.
In an interview with Ukrainian media outlet RBC-Ukraine, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi said Russia currently has 16 satellites in its Rassvet system.
"They have already begun launching it much faster than originally planned," said Skibitskyi, who is the deputy head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service.
