Russia could develop its own alternative to the US’s Starlink satellite communications network within a year, Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces Robert “Madyar” Brovdi said in an interview to Ukrainska Pravda, published Thursday, May 14.
According to Brovdi, Russian forces already possess their own satellite systems and are testing early prototypes intended to strengthen communications across the front line.
“They have restricted Starlink access, they have their own satellite system, and they already have prototype analogs of this kind of signal amplification similar to Starlink,” Brovdi told Ukrainska Pravda.
He said the current Russian systems remain ineffective and easy to detect but warned that Moscow is rapidly improving its technological capabilities.
“Yes, they are clumsy, easy to detect, large in size, and so on. But it is a matter of time,” Brovdi said.
“In a year, they will evolve and have their own alternative network along the entire front line.”
Russia’s current Starlink alternatives
Russia is currently developing a system known as Rassvet to compete with Starlink, according to Russian media Kommersant.
The outlet said Bureau 1440, the company developing the technology, launched 16 spacecraft in March 2026, with six Rassvet satellites in orbit at the time. Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi asserted that, despite the limited number, their regular rotation over Ukraine could provide usable coverage for frontline uses.
Current alternatives also include what Russian troops called the “Gazprom” terminal. In one intercepted conversation in February, a Russian serviceman could be heard bluntly criticizing the terminal as “f**king shit.”
Are there alternatives to Starlink now?
While there are alternatives to Starlink, their coverage and performance fall short.
In Europe and the US, companies such as Eutelsat, OneWeb, Amazon Leo and Viasat offer competing satellite communication services, but Starlink’s large low-Earth-orbit constellation enables lower latency and, due to its scale, more extensive global coverage than most current competitors.
For example, Amazon Leo has deployed more than 300 satellites in higher orbits, which generally improves coverage but increases latency. By contrast, Starlink has deployed over 7,800 low-Earth-orbit satellites as of 2026, enabling lower latency and broader network capacity.
Some firms also cater to corporate clients with larger devices, rendering frontline usage impractical.
Why is Starlink important on the battlefield?
Starlink terminals have become a critical component of Ukraine’s battlefield communications since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The satellite internet system has been widely used by Ukrainian military units for drone operations, battlefield coordination, reconnaissance, and maintaining communications in areas where traditional infrastructure has been destroyed.
Concerns over Russia’s own satellite communication capabilities have grown as both sides increasingly rely on drones and electronic warfare (EW) systems in the war.
On Feb. 4, at Ukraine’s request, SpaceX disabled hundreds of grey- and black-market Starlink terminals in Russia and occupied territories – leaving Ukrainian forces unaffected while cutting off key Russian communications and drone operations.
Starlink shutdown has reportedly severely crippled Russian communications, with Russian troops struggling to coordinate, control drones, and react. The deactivation has led to clashes among friendly units within Russian forces, with Kyiv reportedly making significant territorial gains thanks to the outage for Moscow.