AIBRIEF
Russia's planned 'Rassvet' satellite constellation would field 292 satellites by 2027, per a senior Ukrainian intelligence official who also flagged missile production running ahead of 2026 targets.
Russia is rolling out its own Starlink-style satellite internet network faster than originally planned, with a stated target of nearly 300 satellites in orbit by 2027, according to Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence.
The system, which Russia calls Rassvet, currently has 16 satellites in orbit and operates only intermittently, functioning when a satellite passes over Ukrainian territory. Skibitskyi, speaking to RBC-Ukraine, said Russia plans to expand the constellation to 292 satellites by 2027 and 924 by 2035.
In a parallel thread, Skibitskyi said Russia has already met its 2026 production targets for Zircon and Oniks cruise missiles in the first seven months of the year, and is running 10% to 20% above its broader 2026 missile production goal. He estimated the Iskander-M ballistic missile stockpile at around 130, with 65 new units produced in July alone.
Skibitskyi framed the two threads as a paired response to the advantage that SpaceX's Starlink terminals and Ukraine's expanding drone industry have given Kyiv on the battlefield. Russia had been using grey-market Starlink terminals in Ukraine until SpaceX disabled them earlier this year at Kyiv's request, he noted.
The 2027 constellation target and the 2026 missile figures are stated plans and Skibitskyi's own estimates, not independently confirmed capability. Russian claims about Rassvet's performance and the missile production pace have not been verified by a second source.