🇷🇺🛰️ BREAKING: Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia has begun deploying its own low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, designed as a domestic alternative to SpaceX's Starlink.
According to Putin, the network will support military applications including heavy drone operations, secure communications, AI-enabled systems, and battlefield connectivity.
He also stated that Russia plans to expand the constellation significantly, describing the current number of satellites as insufficient for full-scale deployment.
The project is widely associated with Russia's "Rassvet" satellite program, which aims to provide sovereign satellite communications capabilities for both civilian and military use.
Source: Kremlin meeting with Russian servicemen (June 2026), reported by Bloomberg and other international media.