The Russian version of "Starlink" will be online as soon as 2027! Helping drones to penetrate deep into Ukraine relies heavily on Chinese technology

The Financial Times reported on the 8th that Russia is stepping up its pace to launch its own version of the "Starlink" satellite network. This low-orbit broadband satellite communication system called "Rassvet" will be online as soon as 2027, which will allow the Russian military to control drone swarms on a large scale and in real time deep in Ukrainian territory.

Analysts and the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Agency warned that the deployment of the "Auroa" system will make the Russian army's attacks more deadly; the system allows the Russian army to transmit data over long distances and control drones in real time, transforming relatively cheap attack drones into precision weapons that can identify, track and attack moving targets in Ukraine, and provide calibration data for missile systems.

The report pointed out that the "Dawn" project started in 2020 and was initially a private project aimed at bringing remote areas of Russia online. However, after the failure of the blitzkrieg early in the invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin became convinced that it had to have the equivalent of Starlink. By early 2026, this need became more urgent when the US Space Exploration Technology Company (SpaceX) decided to cut off the connection of unregistered Starlink terminal equipment illegally used by Russia.

Russian officials selected the private enterprise "Bureau 1440" to take on this challenge and committed to funding 40% of its estimated cost of 514.7 billion rubles (approximately NT$205.9 billion) in 2025. The company has currently launched 32 mass-produced satellites and aims to deploy more than 250 satellites at an altitude of 800 kilometers by 2027. The Ukrainian Military Intelligence Agency revealed that as of late July this year, Russia had tested the system over Ukraine for "several hours". It can currently provide up to three hours of connection per day, but it is still not enough to cope with real battlefield tasks.

Although Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that Russia is developing the Quasar system on its own, experts point out that the Dawn project relies heavily on Chinese technology. Verification by the Ukrainian think tank "Center for Defense Reform" (CDR) shows that Directorate 1440 paid nearly $68 million in foreign exchange to suppliers in 2025, many of which were related to China; dozens of employees even went on business trips to China's space and manufacturing centers.

CDR pointed out that Western sanctions remain "fragmented and unsynchronized", with only 5 of 21 core suppliers subject to Western sanctions, and even if one pipeline is cut off, replacements quickly emerge.

Reports pointed out that defending against the Russian version of the Starlink system will be a major problem. Analysts pointed out that the United States cannot directly prevent Dawn from transmitting signals over Ukraine, and the implementation of electronic jamming is not only expensive, but also limited in scope. If it chooses to shoot down the satellite, the space debris generated will cause "suicidal" destruction to everyone.

Rob Lee, a military expert based in Kiev, even warned that the coverage of Dawn is not limited to Ukraine and may be used for drone terrorist attacks and sabotage operations anywhere in Europe in the future.