Russia has called Starlink a threat to national sovereignty

Russia’s Security Council stated that Elon Musk’s Starlink and OneWeb satellite communication systems could allegedly be used to destabilize the situation in other countries. Moscow believes that the spread of such technologies poses risks to national sovereignty and is calling for the accelerated development of its own “Rassvet” satellite network. The statement came amid reports of a dangerous close encounter between a Russian satellite and a satellite operated by the Finnish company ICEYE.

 

Russian authorities see a threat in the expansion of the Starlink satellite internet service, which is being developed by American billionaire Elon Musk. The Russian Security Council reached these conclusions following a meeting of the Scientific and Expert Council on Ensuring the Country’s Information Security. The Security Council highlighted the risks associated with the use of Western space-based communication systems over the territories of sovereign states. According to Russian officials, such technologies could allegedly be used to influence the socio-political situation in other countries.

The statement specifically mentioned the Starlink and OneWeb satellite networks. The Russian Security Council claims that these services are actively expanding their presence in countries seeking to accelerate the development of their digital economies. “First and foremost, this concerns the widely used satellite communication services Starlink and OneWeb, which are actively expanding in countries interested in accelerating the digitalization of their national economies,” the statement reads.

Moscow also emphasized the need to accelerate the production of its own satellites. Russian authorities want to create an alternative to Starlink that would provide coverage over a large area and be capable of operating around the clock.

Russia is developing its own “Rassvet” system

The Russian counterpart to Starlink is called “Rassvet.” Development began in 2022. According to the report, the constellation currently consists of only 32 satellites. In June 2025, the then-head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov, said that in the first phase, they plan to expand the system to 350 satellites. This, he said, should provide global 24/7 communication coverage.

In the long term, Russia aims to increase the number of satellites to 900. By comparison, the Starlink network already has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit. Elon Musk has previously announced plans to expand the constellation to 42,000 satellites. Thus, the Russian system is still significantly smaller than Starlink in terms of scale. At the same time, Moscow insists on the need to rapidly expand its own space capabilities.

Russian Satellite Approached an ICEYE Satellite

The Russian Security Council’s statement came amid reports of incidents in orbit. Specifically, in October, the Russian military satellite “Kosmos-2612” came dangerously close to the X36 satellite operated by the Finnish company ICEYE. This company provides satellite imagery and intelligence data used by Ukraine. According to The Moscow Times, the distance between the Russian and Finnish satellites during the close approach ranged from one to five kilometers. For space technology, this is a very short distance.

The Russian satellite’s maneuvers raised concerns among experts. Greg Gillingher, an analyst at the private military consulting firm Integrity ISR and a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, suggested that such actions could be preparation for possible attacks on Western spacecraft. “This is the most aggressive stance Russia has ever taken toward another country’s satellite that I have ever observed,” he said.

According to the analyst, these dangerous close approaches may not simply be maneuvers, but a way to test the capabilities of Russian satellites for a potential confrontation in orbit.

Why This Matters

Satellite communications today are used for more than just internet access. They help maintain communication in remote areas, ensure the operation of critical infrastructure, transmit data, and coordinate actions during emergencies. During wartime, such systems also have military significance. In particular, Starlink is used for communication between Ukrainian military units, and ICEYE satellite data helps gather intelligence on the situation behind enemy lines.

Therefore, the development of satellite networks and the security of spacecraft are becoming increasingly important for nations. At the same time, statements by the Russian Security Council regarding threats posed by Western systems remain, for now, assessments by the Russian authorities rather than confirmation that Starlink or OneWeb are being used to destabilize other countries. This was reported by the Russian news agency Interfax.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated that SpaceX founder Elon Musk became a party to the war by providing Ukraine with Starlink satellite communications following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

As a reminder, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is preparing a large-scale investigation into the use of the Starshield satellite system in Ukraine. As part of this initiative, American billionaire Elon Musk, among others, has been instructed to preserve all relevant documents.

Meanwhile, American billionaire Elon Musk shared a post claiming that SpaceX made a mistake by providing Ukraine with free Starlink terminals at the start of the full-scale war.