Russia's Security Council Urges Rapid Expansion of Starlink Rival Satellite Network
Experts on Russia's Security Council said on Friday that the country must urgently scale up its homegrown Rassvet satellite network, warning that Western systems could be used to destabilize states. Russia has launched just over 30 Rassvet satellites, while Starlink has more than 10,000 active ones.
An expert council under Russia's Security Council, the country's top advisory body on national security, called on Friday, November 6, for urgent expansion of Rassvet, Russia's own low-Earth orbit satellite communications network. It is intended as a domestic counterpart to Starlink, the system run by US businessman Elon Musk.
According to a statement cited by state media, Russia must rapidly scale up mass production of communications satellites and terminal equipment. The meeting, devoted to information security and internet access, discussed the risks posed by Western space-based communications systems operating over the territory of sovereign states. The statement said such systems could be used to destabilize the socio-political situation, and that this applies first and foremost to the widely used Starlink and OneWeb services.
A large gap in satellite numbers
Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev told President Vladimir Putin last month that Russia has so far launched just over 30 Rassvet satellites. Starlink, by comparison, has more than 10,000 active satellites.
Starlink's role in the war in Ukraine
Ukraine's army has used the military version of Starlink throughout the war with Russia, for drone operations and battlefield communications. On Friday, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council, criticized Musk for allowing Ukraine to use Starlink. Only days earlier, Putin had praised Musk as a "real genius" for developing Starlink.
Ukraine has said that Russia is already using its new Rassvet network for military communications in Ukraine.
