Russia could use its future Rassvet satellite constellation to control attack drones and missiles online. Ukraine needs to develop electronic warfare systems in advance to counter such a network and protect key infrastructure facilities.
This was stated on Telegram by Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov, known by the call sign “Flash.”
According to him, Russia’s failures in placing Rassvet satellites into the required orbits should not reassure Ukraine. Beskrestnov believes Russian developers will be able to improve the satellites’ engines and eventually create a functional constellation.
He also suggested that Russia could use an Angara heavy-lift launch vehicle to place a significant number of satellites into orbit in a single launch.
“Russia is a space power, and it is quite possible that some Angara rocket will ‘unexpectedly’ put half of the Rassvet satellite constellation into orbit in a single launch,” Beskrestnov wrote.
In his assessment, such a system would allow Russian forces to maintain a permanent communications link with long-range strike systems.
“This will give the enemy the ability to control Shahed drones and missiles online via satellites. This will be a huge problem for us. No, it will not even be a problem – it will be a small catastrophe,” the adviser stressed.
Beskrestnov compared the potential threat to the current challenge of countering MESH networks used for communications between drones and other elements of command-and-control systems. According to him, the issue of countering such technologies had long remained without sufficient attention.
He urged Ukraine not to repeat the same mistake with the Rassvet satellite system.
“By the time the Rassvet satellites appear, we must have an electronic warfare system developed. And not just developed. All key infrastructure facilities must already be protected by these EW systems,” Beskrestnov said.
At the same time, he warned that developing and deploying such a countermeasure system would require significant funding and time.
