---
title: "Apostol: Russia will continue attempts to create a Starlink analogue but is lagging behind its own plans"
description: "DSHV Commander Oleh Apostol stated that Russia will continue attempts to build its own Starlink analogue, but due to technological difficulties, the project will take longer than planned in Moscow."
date: 2026-11-13T09:49:17.696Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/apostol-russia-starlink-analogue-delays
tags: [ukraine-war, starlink, rassvet, satellite-communications, military]
author: "Andrey Kosynko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Apostol: Russia will continue attempts to create a Starlink analogue but is lagging behind its own plans

![Ukrainian military commander Oleh Apostol speaking to an audience during a presentation](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/13/apostol-rossiya-analog-starlink-otstaet-ot-planov/apostol-rossiya-analog-starlink-otstaet-ot-planov-1.webp)

## Key Points

- DSHV Commander Oleh Apostol stated that Russia will continue attempts to deploy its own Starlink analogue, but the project will take longer than expected.
- Apostol pointed to Russia's technological difficulties and called the system's creation "a matter of time," noting that Moscow will not meet its own deadlines.
- According to Reuters, the Russian Federation is already using the "Rassvet" system for military communication; the second batch was launched on July 19 from Plesetsk, and a failure to reach operating altitude was reported in September.

Air Assault Forces (DSHV) Commander Oleh Apostol, during a meeting with journalists, commented on the prospects of the Russian satellite communication system that Moscow is developing as an analogue to the Western Starlink platform. According to him, Russia will continue its attempts to deploy its own system, but the project will likely take more time to implement than originally planned.

### Technological difficulties

Responding to questions about how close the aggressor state is to creating a competitive satellite infrastructure, Apostol noted that Russia is experiencing technological difficulties in implementing the relevant project. The commander emphasized that these very limitations dictate the pace at which Moscow can approach its goals in the field of military satellite communications.

### "A matter of time"

At the same time, Apostol did not rule out that Russian specialists would eventually manage to achieve the intended results. "I think it is a matter of time. They will push it through. Not as fast as they would like," he said, pointing to the gap between Moscow's expectations and the real timelines dictated by technological capabilities.

### "Rassvet": what is known about the system

Recall that according to Reuters, Russia is already using its own "Rassvet" satellite system for military communications over the territory of Ukraine. The Russian "Rassvet" project was launched on July 19 from the Plesetsk cosmodrome as part of the second batch of satellites. In September, it was reported that this batch failed to reach the required operating altitude, which further confirms the existence of technical problems in the system.

### Strategic context

Developing its own satellite segment is of strategic importance for Moscow, as it allows it to reduce dependence on foreign communication channels during the conflict. Who is behind the creation of the Russian Starlink analogue and what weaknesses the system has is analyzed in detail in the RBK-Ukraine article, on which the DSHV commander relies in his assessments.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Россия будет пытаться создать собственный аналог Starlink, но отстает от планов, - Апостол](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiya-namagatimetsya-stvoriti-vlasniy-analog-1794562119.html) - Primary source: statement by DSHV Commander Oleh Apostol regarding Russia's technological difficulties and timelines for creating a Starlink analogue; mention of Reuters data on the "Rassvet" launch on July 19 from Plesetsk and the altitude issue with the second batch.

## FAQ

### Who stated that Russia is lagging behind its plans for a Starlink analogue?

This was stated by DSHV Commander Oleh Apostol during a meeting with journalists.

### Has Russia already managed to use its own satellite system?

According to Reuters, the Russian Federation is already using the "Rassvet" system for military communication over Ukraine; the second batch was launched on July 19 from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, and it was reported in September that it did not reach the required altitude.

### Does Apostol rule out that Russia will eventually create such a system?

No, he does not rule out this success, but characterizes it as "a matter of time" and notes that Moscow will not meet its own, more ambitious, deadlines.