Russia lost access to Starlink and is building a replacement. What is known about the Rassvet system? | Ukrainska Pravda
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Russia is actively developing its own satellite internet system – a technology that has become well known to Ukrainians since 2022 thanks to Starlink terminals.
If Russia were a normal state, such a project would be seen as a logical step in technological development. In a country with such a vast territory, satellite internet could genuinely provide connection even to the most remote regions.
However, in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine, the story takes on a very different meaning. For Ukraine, it represents a significant potential threat to national security.
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After losing access to Starlink, the Russian military has been searching for an alternative. Although Russia's attempts to develop its own systems have not always been successful, Moscow is trying to build a Starlink equivalent called Rassvet.
Little has been publicly disclosed about the project, which is being developed by Bureau 1440, but within a year it could become a major topic. If Russia succeeds, it will significantly improve military communications and, in the future, could use satellite internet to control drones – an idea that Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin himself voiced in the spring.
If that happens, Russia's occupation forces will gain a new autonomous communications capability that is less dependent on ground infrastructure, foreign services and vulnerable communication channels. Can Moscow really build a Starlink equivalent? What threats would such a system pose to Ukraine? And what is known about Bureau 1440?
Project 1440
Russian aerospace company Bureau 1440 was established in 2020 as a project of MegaFon, Russia's second-largest mobile network operator. Initially, it was called MegaFon 1440 and operated as part of the IT company X Holding.
MegaFon's initiative was not Russia's first attempt to create a satellite internet system. The Kremlin had been trying to launch a satellite communications constellation called Efir (Ether) since 2017. At the time, the plan was to spend RUB 300 billion (about US$5.1 billion) to deploy 288 satellites into polar orbit.
In 2018, Russia announced the creation of the Sfera (Sphere) programme, which envisaged launching more than 600 satellites for communications, navigation and Earth observation. Efir was intended to become part of that programme by serving as its satellite internet component.
However, a year later, Efir was removed from the programme. The Russian government had hoped to attract private investors but failed to do so. The Sfera programme retained various satellite systems, ranging from the existing Ekspress and Luch constellations to planned projects such as Marathon-IoT and Skif.
After 2022, it became clear that Moscow was incapable of delivering on its original plans. Against this backdrop, Bureau 1440 effectively became Russia's flagship project in the field of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite internet.
The original concept behind MegaFon 1440 was to assess the capabilities of LEO satellite systems for high-speed data transmission. In its early stages, the mobile operator financed the core work, including developing the business model, selecting technologies, and later building prototype satellites and ground infrastructure.
In 2021, the now-sanctioned VTB Bank joined the project, investing RUB 2 billion (about US$27 million) in exchange for a 15% stake in the company. MegaFon envisioned the system as a hybrid orbital-ground network that would become a more cost-effective alternative to laying fibre-optic cables in Russia's sparsely populated regions.
Satellite control centre for the Rassvet high-speed internet programme
Photo: Bureau 1440
By the end of 2021, MegaFon 1440 began transforming from a research project into a standalone company. Its mission was to develop and manufacture the key components of the system, including satellites, user terminals and ground infrastructure.
At the time, MegaFon and X Holding were part of the telecommunications group USM, owned by sanctioned oligarch Alisher Usmanov, who is linked to the Kremlin. In 2022, Usmanov sold his stake in X Holding to its founder, Anton Cherepennikov, causing the company to leave the USM group. The MegaFon 1440 project was subsequently renamed Bureau 1440. In February 2023, X Holding was placed under US sanctions.
Scaling up the project
In June 2023, Bureau 1440 launched the first three experimental satellites of its Rassvet-1 mission. Their purpose was to test communications technologies, ground stations and onboard systems. A year later, the company launched another three satellites as part of the Rassvet-2...