Ukraine's military intelligence is sounding the alarm: Russia is speeding up work on its own version of Starlink, a low-Earth-orbit satellite network called Rassvet that could eventually give Moscow the same kind of battlefield connectivity that has been a game-changer for Kyiv.

"They have already begun launching it much faster than originally planned," Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitskiy, deputy head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service, told RBC-Ukraine this week, according to Reuters. Right now, Rassvet only works intermittently when satellites pass over Ukraine, but Russia plans to have 292 spacecraft in orbit by 2027 and 924 by 2035.

"Once Russia deploys a full satellite constellation, the system will operate like Starlink. Discussions are already underway on how to counter it," Skibitskiy said.

This push comes after Ukraine successfully pressured SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, to cut off unauthorized terminals used by Russian forces earlier this year. That move disrupted Moscow's battlefield connectivity, but Russia is clearly looking to build its own solution.

Starlink has become central to Ukrainian drone operations, and Russia has also tried jamming the links used by Ukrainian strike units. In February, reports indicated that Elon Musk allowed broader Starlink use to support Ukraine after Kyiv pressed SpaceX to block Russian access.

SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.

Ukraine Faces Growing Missile Defense Pressure

The Rassvet threat is just one piece of a larger problem for Ukraine. Skibitskiy said Russia has already hit its annual production targets for Zircon and Oniks missiles within seven months, and is running 10% to 20% ahead of its broader 2026 missile production goals. He estimated Moscow has about 130 Iskander-M ballistic missiles after producing 65 in July.

Kyiv has repeatedly warned that dwindling interceptor supplies could leave cities and energy infrastructure exposed this winter. Ukraine's envoy to Washington, Olha Stefanishyna, recently said, "The devastating effect of every overnight attack right now is unbelievable," adding, "We need the missiles." President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has separately sought an emergency package of 300 Patriot interceptors.

Those shortages are becoming more dangerous as Russia receives additional military support. AP reported this week that Zelenskyy said Moscow used North Korean ballistic missiles in an attack on Zaporizhzhia and warned Pyongyang was preparing to send more troops.

Kyiv Presses Musk for Wider Starlink Access

Ukraine is also pressing Musk to activate Starlink over Russian territory. Fire Point executive Iryna Terekh told Politico that doing so would improve long-range Ukrainian strikes. "Our effectiveness would really rise," she said.