Russian Media: Russian Version of "Starlink" System Used in Combat for the First Time

Reference News Network, May 28 report The Russian newspaper "Vedomosti" published a report on May 25, titled "Russian Version of 'Starlink' Engaged in Combat in Special Military Operation Zone," with the following content:

Russia has begun to utilize satellite communications to support drones in the special military operation zone. In fact, this marks the first military use of the "Dawn" system satellites, which have just entered orbit.

What is the "Dawn" system? How does it differ from the U.S. "Starlink" system? What new capabilities can it provide to the Russian military?

During an inspection of the "Eastern" group forces command post, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu received a report on connecting Russian drones to domestic satellite communication stations, marking an important moment in the development of Russian unmanned systems and satellite communications.

Although it may be too early to talk about creating a Russian system that completely replaces "Starlink," Russia has already taken a significant step in this direction.

The Russian military has not mentioned specific satellites, but there are not many such satellites, so it is likely referring to the "Dawn" low-orbit satellite system developed by the Russian private company "1440 Bureau."

"1440 Bureau" was established in 2020, specializing in researching the potential of low-orbit satellite systems for high-speed data transmission.

The "Dawn" system does indeed have similarities with "Starlink": both systems' satellites operate in low orbits at altitudes of 500 to 600 kilometers and exchange data with user terminals, ground gateways, and among themselves. Users need to be equipped with active phased array terminals to access this data.

A key difference between "Dawn" and "Starlink" is that the data exchange between its satellites and ground control center gateways is achieved through laser communication, while "Starlink" relies primarily on microwave frequencies for satellite-ground transmission. Additionally, the current positioning of the Russian project is at the national level rather than global.

SpaceX initially announced that its satellite constellation was for civilian use only, and the Russian side also planned to offer the "Dawn" system for commercial use, initially targeting businesses and government clients. However, the special military operation has fully revealed the enormous military potential of low-orbit satellites with high-speed data transmission capabilities.

Figuratively speaking, Musk's company has become the "nerve center" for the Ukrainian military, providing uninterrupted and jamming-resistant communications for Ukrainian forces, as well as guidance systems for precision weapons that are almost unaffected by electronic warfare measures, playing a significant role in intelligence.

In June 2025, the president of the Russian State Space Corporation, Bakanov, announced the formation of a satellite constellation consisting of over a hundred low-orbit satellites for controlling drones.

Later, he announced that the mass deployment of the "Dawn" low-orbit satellite constellation would begin in December 2025, with the first phase planned to launch 350 satellites, and the number of satellites will eventually increase to 900, achieving global coverage in the future.

However, the first 16 "Dawn" system satellites were only launched on March 24 of this year. It is inferred that the forming satellite constellation will first carry out military tasks, providing reliable communication support to the Russian military within the framework of network-centric warfare concepts.

The "Dawn" system controls not only drones but also the automated command systems of the entire military vertical structure—both the General Staff and individual soldiers can access the data they need in real-time.

Recently, Russian President Putin stated that the launch of the new low-orbit broadband communication satellite constellation is a significant event. Indeed, this marks the transition of this research and development achievement from the experimental stage to practical application.

Of course, due to the current limited number of satellites, the tasks they undertake are still of a testing nature.

To achieve regular and systematic operations, the satellite constellation should be expanded to at least 100 satellites. However, the most challenging first step has already been taken.

Although the scale is limited, drones using the domestic system have already been deployed in actual combat.

By 2027, when 288 "Dawn" system satellites are scheduled to enter orbit, the system will truly form a network. (Translation/ Li Ran)