In Russia, They Boasted About Using "Rassvet" Satellites for Communications for the First Time

As part of testing a channel for its own satellite communications, Russians conducted electronic voting at a remote polling station in the Arctic, said Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Russian Central Election Commission.

Satellites from the Russian company "BYURO 1440" were used. It is she who is responsible for the development and deployment of the satellite group "Rassvet".

The use of satellites to organize voting served as a test of the communication from these satellites. Previously, the satellite channel was used only by engineers conducting tests. Real users first gained access to it.

During the experiment, residents of one settlement in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug used low Earth orbit satellites "BYURO 1440", which transmitted data to a special subscriber terminal on the ground. From there the signal via Wi‑Fi reached the user's tablet, from which they could connect to the electronic voting system. The possibility of expanding this technology to other regions with limited access to traditional telecommunications infrastructure is currently being assessed.

As the portal "Military Review" writes, 5G NTN technology was used for communication between satellites and ground terminals.

"Rassvet" may be important not only for communication, but also for drone control, coordination of operations, and real-time data transmission. Terminals could potentially be installed on drones, aircraft, and even missiles, analysts write.

Launching the "Rassvet" satellites into orbit — what is known

Recall that "BYURO 1440" is deploying the Russian low Earth orbit satellite communications system "Rassvet". In March 2026 the company put the first 16 satellites of the target group into orbit, and in July — another 16 devices.

As of July 2026 year, these satellites already provide at least two "communication windows" per day over Ukraine. Each window lasts more than an hour.

The development of the "Rassvet" system, the Information Resistance group analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko notes, raises a number of questions. In his view, this project, by a whole range of indicators, is a failure.

However, adviser to the president, Sergey Beskrestnov (Flesh), says that the developers are currently refining the engines, after which the satellites will operate properly. He added that as a space power, Russia can launch a carrier rocket with a large number of satellites that will reach the designated orbits in one moment.

Countering Russian satellites

It should be added that, according to experts, sooner or later the Russians will succeed, and it is worth preparing for it. In particular, commander 429-th separate drone brigade “Achilles” Yuriy Fedorenko said that for Russians this communication is fundamentally important not only for the frontline defense, but also to have the ability to targetedly attack objects deep in Ukraine.