Russia suffered a new setback with its satellite internet system competing with Starlink: an entire batch of satellites failed during orbit entry, compromising Moscow's plans to expand its military communication network.
The system, which directly competes with the Starlink from American company SpaceX, aims to provide connectivity for Russian forces on the battlefield. Despite the launch failure, the program continues in development.
The strategic importance of the system is significant for the war in Ukraine. Even operating partially, the technology could allow Russia to improve the accuracy of its attacks against Ukrainian territory.
The failure of the entire batch of satellites represents a blow to Russia's effort to reduce its dependence on Western technologies in the conflict, but experts warn that the program still represents a potential threat even with limited capacity.
