[Digital Today intern reporter Seungah Yoo] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said China is helping Russia build a satellite communications network to replace Starlink, warning Russia could secure military superiority over Ukrainian airspace.

On Oct. 16 (local time), IT outlet TechRadar reported that Zelenskiy claimed Russia is building its own satellite communications network with Chinese technical support. He made the remarks to reporters in Pryluky, where 22 people were killed in a Russian cruise missile attack on Oct. 7.

Zelenskiy also claimed in August that Russia is developing a Starlink replacement system with China’s help and it could be ready around December 2026. On Sept. 30, Denys Sienik (Denys Sienik), Ukraine’s acting ambassador to the United States, also urged the United States to impose sanctions on entities linked to Russia’s satellite network. Zelenskiy said he had repeatedly asked U.S. President Donald Trump to sanction Russian and Chinese companies.

The satellite network in question is Rassvet, which is being built by Bureau 1440, part of Russia’s IKS Holding. Mass-produced satellites include 16 launched in March and 16 in July, for a total of 32. Russia planned to deploy 156 satellites in 2026 and 292 in 2027, but has launched only about one-fifth of this year’s target.

There were setbacks in satellite operations as well. Rassvet-3 satellite No. 4 failed to raise its orbit and re-entered the atmosphere on June 6. Of the satellites launched in July, 2 have not been confirmed to have performed orbit-raising manoeuvres. Ukraine’s military intelligence assessed that the number of satellites is insufficient and their efficiency is low. Still, it cannot rule out the possibility that the network’s operating range could expand later.

The specific form of China’s support has not yet been confirmed. Zelenskiy did not identify the Chinese companies involved. Bureau 1440 said it develops core satellite modules in-house, but experts raised the possibility that Chinese-made general-purpose components were used for key hardware. They also cite the possibility that U.S. and European components flowed into Russia through sanctions-evasion routes.

Ukraine is also pursuing a way to use Starlink inside Russian territory. Zelenskiy said he wants Ukrainian drones to use Starlink to track ballistic missile launchers and drone launch sites up to 200 km inside Russia. But Europe’s alternative satellite communications projects have not yet reached the level Ukraine is seeking.

Based on information disclosed so far, it is difficult to conclude that China provided Russia with a completed satellite communications network, or that Russia will seize control over Ukrainian airspace within months. Russia’s Rassvet build-out is under way, but the scale and method of China’s support remain unclear. Whether the United States imposes sanctions on related companies or allows Starlink use in Russian territory is seen as a variable going forward.