KYIV, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Russia is rolling out its own version of the Starlink satellite internet system faster than expected and plans to have nearly 300 satellites in orbit by 2027, according to a Ukrainian intelligence official.
SpaceX's Starlink network, which operates in Ukraine but not Russia, has given Kyiv a major advantage in drone operations and battlefield communications.
Russian forces had been using grey-market Starlink terminals in Ukraine until Kyiv successfully lobbied SpaceX to disable them earlier this year, one of several factors that shifted battlefield momentum in Ukraine's favour.
In an interview with Ukrainian media outlet RBC-Ukraine, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi said Russia currently has 16 satellites in its Rassvet system.
"They have already begun launching it much faster than originally planned," said Skibitskyi, who is the deputy head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service.
The system can currently operate only intermittently when one of the satellites passes over Ukrainian territory, he said. However, Russia plans to create a constellation of 292 satellites by 2027 and 924 by 2035, he added.
"Once Russia deploys a full satellite constellation, the system will operate like Starlink. Discussions are already underway on how to counter it," he said.
INCREASED MISSILE CAPACITY
Russia has been pounding Ukraine with an array of supersonic missiles as Kyiv has depleted its stock of interceptor missiles.
Skibitskyi said Moscow had already met its annual production targets for Zircon and Oniks missiles in the first seven months of the year and was exceeding its 2026 missile production goals by 10% to 20%.
He said Ukraine's emerging ballistic missile industry, along with drone production facilities, had become a priority target for Russia's missile campaign.
Skibitskyi added that Russia's stockpile of Iskander-M ballistic missiles, the mainstay of its supersonic strikes, was estimated at around 130, with 65 new ones made in July.
(Reporting by Max Hunder. Editing by Mark Potter)
