By Bloomberg News | Updated on Jun 12, 2026 at 05:44 PM
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country is expanding a constellation of domestically produced satellites as he vowed to step up strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Speaking at a Kremlin meeting with servicemen Friday, Putin said Russia had begun deploying a low orbit satellite system similar to Starlink, though the number of 16 craft was “absolutely insufficient.”
“The issue is scaling it up. This requires a certain amount of time, but it has been created and is functioning,” Putin said at the televised event. “The issue is expanding the constellation, and that will continue.”
Drone warfare has become a key feature in the war, now well into its fifth year. Ukrainian forces, which have stepped up strikes against Russian industrial facilities, are able to use SpaceX’s Starlink network, but Russian unmanned aerial vehicles have struggled to consistently access mobile internet connections.
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In order to improve logistics support for Russian troops, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said that about 20,000 cargo drones with payload capacities of up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds) would be delivered to the Russian army in Ukraine this year.
While addressing the meeting of soldiers, Putin acknowledged that Russia wasn’t advancing as “as quickly as we would like,” though he said territory was being gained gradually.
“We will intensify our strikes on the enemy’s infrastructure,” he said.
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