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Images of a downed Russian Molniya unmanned aerial vehicle carrying an unidentified device with markings resembling those of satellite developer Bureau 1440 have prompted speculation that Russia may be testing its Rassvet communications system on the battlefield.
Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian presidential adviser on technological innovation in the armed forces known by the callsign “Flash,” disputed the identification on October 15, saying the object did not appear to be a satellite communications antenna.
“This cannot be a satellite communications antenna because the object is crooked. It was strapped to the body with clamps,” Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram.
Beskrestnov noted that the unidentified device’s actual purpose could be determined only after examining the recovered hardware.
The Molniya-2 has earned a reputation as the AK-47 Kalashnikov of drones due to its basic design and effectiveness. The twin-engine electric drone is made out of cheap materials like plywood, aluminum tubing and plastic. It is said to have a range of 40 kilometers and can carry a payload weighing ten kilograms.
The speculation centers on Rassvet, a low-Earth-orbit broadband satellite network developed by Russian aerospace company Bureau 1440 as a domestic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink.
Russia launched its first operational group of 16 Rassvet satellites in March 2026, followed by a second group placed into orbit in late July. The company plans to begin commercial operations in 2027.
The network could eventually provide Russian forces with an independent source of high-speed communications, reducing their reliance on foreign satellite services.
Dmytro Khmara, co-founder of the Ukrainian aerospace engineering projects Space Cossacks, Lunar Research Service and MySat UA, warned in August that Rassvet could support communications between military units, video transmission to command posts and drone control.
While the presence of the unidentified device does not establish that Rassvet has been integrated into the Molniya, it is very possible that tests are ongoing.
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