Synopsis
Russia is developing its own satellite broadband system. This new service aims to rival Elon Musk's Starlink. The company Iks Holding is leading the project. They plan to begin commercial operations in 2027. This comes as Ukraine has reportedly used Starlink for its drones. Russia's own system will feature 900 low-orbit satellites. Starlink is currently banned in Russia.Listen to this article in summarized format
"The good news is that it is already being created. Satellites are already being launched. In the coming weeks, we will begin testing, and as promised, it will start operating commercially in 2027," Shelobkov told a panel discussion at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
Successful Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries and other industrial sites in recent months have been linked by some military experts in part to the ability of the latest generation of AI-powered Ukrainian drones to connect to SpaceX's Starlink network, which is more resilient to jamming.
Ukraine said in January that Russia was using Starlink terminals to guide its drones into Ukrainian territory and that it was working with SpaceX to stop this.
The company Bureau 1440, part of Iks Holding, said in March that it had launched its first 16 low-orbit Rassvet satellites, aiming to increase their number to 900 over several years. SpaceX currently has over 10,000 satellites in orbit. Starlink is banned in Russia, and the use of its equipment is subject to fines.
