Putin and his troops clash over claimed Starlink substitute
REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his soldiers fighting in
Ukraine could not agree on whether Russia has a viable alternative to Starlink
satellite internet service, independent Russian outlet The Insider reported on June
12.
As the country celebrated Russia Day, some active-duty troops were invited to the Kremlin to meet the dictator. According to the report, one servicemember raised the use of drones to deliver gear and ammunition to the front lines “via a satellite channel.” Putin replied that work was under way and said the Russian satellite system “is not inferior, and perhaps even superior” to Starlink.
A different servicemember later contradicted that account, saying, “Enemy drones fly under the control of Starlink satellite communications system, and we do not have such a system.” Putin reiterated, “I already said — we have such a system,” according to The Insider.
Putin also mentioned aerospace firm Bureau 1440. In March, the company launched the first 16 low-Earth-orbit satellites for a network called Rassvet (Dawn), which has been promoted as a Russian alternative to Starlink; this week one of the satellites reportedly was lost.
Ukrainian Defense Ministry adviser Serhii Beskrestnov
previously said that a constellation of this kind needs at least 200-250 satellites
to enable continuous, stable data transmission.
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