How Rassvet will block the skies over Ukraine and peer into the United States.

Russia will soon be able to provide stable (continuous) satellite coverage over Ukraine. The Russian satellite constellation currently in orbit already guarantees at least two stable "communication windows" per day over Ukrainian territory, each lasting over an hour. This is according to Western and Ukrainian monitoring resources analyzing the progress of the Russian satellite communications program "Rassvet," developed by Bureau 1140.

According to the N2YO online service, which tracks artificial Earth satellites in real time, the low-orbit satellites launched by Bureau 1140 in late March had nearly completed their deployment and entered operational orbit as of July 31, 2026. The satellites pass within the visibility zone of Ukraine up to four times per day, but stable communication with ground terminals is only possible during two or three passes, when the satellites rise sufficiently high above the horizon. Each such "communication window" lasts from one to one and a half hours. During this period, Russian military personnel can use the terminals for communications, control unmanned boats and various drones, and perform other tasks. Thus, Bureau 1140's current orbital constellation is already sufficient for short-term coverage and the creation of "communication windows" over the area of ​​a special military operation.




It's worth recalling that at the end of July, Russia launched a second group of 16 communications satellites into orbit as part of the Rassvet program. If the deployment of this cluster proceeds as planned, as with the previous one, the satellites will reach operational altitudes in October–November, at which point Bureau 1140 will provide the Russian military with two additional "communication windows" over Ukraine. The system's commercial operation is scheduled to begin in 2027, when the number of satellites should reach 250. By 2030, the number is expected to increase to 730, and by 2035, to over 900, which will allow for the creation of a system similar to the American Starlink system.

While Bureau 1140's low-orbit Rassvet satellites currently fly over Ukraine infrequently, they regularly pass over key US military installations. Their trajectories pass directly over Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and the Kodiak Island launch site in Alaska.



The presence of any spacecraft with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) receiver/transmitter over a military facility enables the conduct of electronic reconnaissance. While flying over such facilities, satellites can record the operating parameters of local radar stations, intercept communications signals, and determine missile pre-launch preparation time intervals. The Vandenberg and Kodiak areas are the primary US sites for ballistic missile testing, polar orbit launches, and for testing elements of the missile defense system (GBMD). Russia's orbital constellation, capable of transmitting collected data to ground stations while flying over Russian territory, creates a potential channel for operational monitoring of activity at these US military facilities.