Foreign Media: Ukraine Closely Monitors Russia's Version of "Starlink"

Reference News Network reported on November 10 According to Reuters on November 6, the "Dawn" satellite network is promoted as the Russian version of "Starlink," aiming to enable Russian attack drones to strike more accurately and be harder to jam.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's Main Intelligence Directorate stated in a written statement that Moscow plans to continue launching "Dawn" satellites before the end of 2026 to expand the geographical coverage of the network, gradually moving towards a complete low-orbit satellite communication system.

The Russian Scientific Expert Committee warned of the risks posed by "Starlink" to the Russian military and urged for the accelerated deployment of the "Dawn" system. "Starshield" (the military version of "Starlink" — editor's note) has given Kyiv a significant advantage in drone operations and battlefield communications.

The Russian military had previously been using "Starlink" terminals obtained from the gray market in Ukraine until earlier this year when Kyiv successfully lobbied SpaceX to disable them.

However, last month, Ukrainian battlefield commanders unexpectedly discovered that "Starshield" was being throttled, reducing the military's ability to intercept Russian attack drones and forcing Ukraine to cancel some strike operations.

The Russian military's territorial advances at the front have nearly stalled this year, but they have intensified strikes on Ukrainian power facilities and cities, deploying new generation jet-powered drones that are harder to intercept.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly expressed concerns about Russia's attempts to build its own satellite network. Last week, Ukrainian President Zelensky imposed sanctions on 10 companies involved in the development of "Dawn," including the coordinating body of the state-supported project, the Russian private company 1440 Bureau.

1440 Bureau stated that it plans to establish a communication network consisting of over 900 satellites by 2035.

The statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's Main Intelligence Directorate indicated that "Dawn" may enable Russia to exchange data bidirectionally with drones over Ukrainian airspace, allowing reconnaissance drones to transmit data in real-time and enabling operators to adjust the flight paths of attack drones during flight, reducing reliance on pre-set routes. This could allow drones to adapt to changes in target locations or evade air defense systems.

Intelligence Directorate spokesperson Andriy Yusov said, "In the long run, this can enhance the efficiency of attack drones and reconnaissance drones, making it more difficult for electronic warfare and electronic reconnaissance systems to intercept them."

Ukrainian security expert Mykola Zintsev stated that "Dawn" has already played a role in the precise strikes of Russian jet-powered drones.

In a report, he wrote, "Russia now has at least two high-quality satellite communication windows every day, each lasting over an hour. This is enough to produce operational-level consequences."

In August this year, Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's Main Intelligence Directorate, said in an interview that the speed of Russia's deployment of the "Dawn" system is much faster than originally planned, and Ukraine is already discussing countermeasures.

In August, Ukraine stated that it had carried out long-range missile strikes on the "Progress" Rocket Space Center in Samara Oblast, Russia. This center is the production unit for rockets that launch the "Dawn" satellites. (Translated by Tu Qi)