Kyiv is asking Washington to sanction companies that supply components for Russia's Rassvet, a Starlink-style network. The deadline for decisions under the new law is 18 October.
Ukraine is asking the United States to sanction companies that supply components for Rassvet, Russia's planned Starlink-style satellite internet network. Denys Sienik, Ukraine's diplomatic representative in Washington, said so on 30 September. Volunteers Support Ukraine explains why the issue matters.
According to Sienik, if Russia completes its satellite constellation, it will be able to "attack Ukraine at will with real-time information", a risk that grows as winter approaches. The network's main developer, Bureau 1440, is already under US sanctions, but the makers of its components are not. Kyiv wants them to become the target of new restrictions.
The request relies on the Lindsey O. Graham sanctions act on Russia and Iran, which Donald Trump signed on 18 September 2026. The administration has until 18 October to make determinations under it. Ukraine also plans its own national sanctions against the companies involved.
Russia launched the first 16 operational satellites on 23 March 2026 from Plesetsk and, according to Euromaidan Press, a second batch in July. Plans call for 292 satellites by the end of 2027 and roughly 900 by 2035; sources give slightly different figures.
Every new intelligence tool in an aggressor's hands is an added risk for civilian cities that already come under fire every night. NGO Volunteers Support Ukraine keeps helping people affected by the war in whatever way its available resources allow.
