The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) is publishing data on 49 russian and Belarusian enterprises involved in the development of russia’s Rassvet low Earth orbit satellite broadband communications system on the War&Sanctions portal.

The system comprises a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, ground-based control infrastructure, gateway stations, and user terminals for fixed and mobile platforms.

The production network brings together IT companies, microelectronics manufacturers, research centers, entities affiliated with Roscosmos, and structures of the russian ministry of defence.

The main company responsible for the project is Bureau 1440 LLC, part of the IT conglomerate X Holding. Companies within the holding supply components and manufacture solar panels, user equipment, printed circuit boards, electronic modules, and other system components.

Roscosmos and other russian aerospace enterprises are responsible for developing and manufacturing launch vehicles and upper stages, electric propulsion engines and other satellite components, as well as satellite integration, launch preparation and orbital deployment. At Roscosmos, the Rassvet project is overseen directly by the corporation’s head, dmitry bakanov. Before taking up this position, he headed the russian joint-stock company Satellite System Gonets, including during its cooperation with the British company OneWeb and the establishment of a joint venture to develop low Earth orbit satellite communications services for the russian market.

Structures affiliated with the russian ministry of defence ensure the operation of the spaceport, coordinate activities and facilitate the system’s further integration into russia’s military communications infrastructure.

One of the investors that provided financial support for the development and creation of the Rassvet system was VTB Bank.

Twenty-three of the 49 companies and institutions, including Roscosmos itself, remain unsanctioned by any country in the sanctions coalition.

For russia, Rassvet is primarily a military communications system. In the future, the enemy plans to deploy it extensively in support of its armed forces — to provide strategic communications and troop command and control, control strike platforms, equip command posts and military vehicles with user terminals, support the combat use of unmanned systems, and ensure the operation of russian ministry of defence facilities.

Plans already call for integrating Rassvet satellites into the space-based targeting system for missile weapons and equipping Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system command vehicles with user terminals.

The planned coverage primarily includes the territory of Ukraine and the EU. Once sufficient coverage is achieved, russia could use the system in hybrid acts of aggression against other countries.

It is therefore essential to consolidate efforts now to disrupt supply chains for the technologies required by the project, including electronic components, equipment and software. All companies involved must be added to the relevant blacklists maintained by countries, with banks and businesses prohibited from cooperating with them and meaningful consequences imposed for any violations.