All 16 of Russia's latest satellites for its Starlink rival failed to reach their intended orbit
Russia's Rossvest satellite network has suffered a total failure of its latest launch, with none of the 16 satellites reaching their intended operational altitude. While the satellites were designed to operate at 870 kilometers, many are currently orbiting between 300 and 400 kilometers. This failure has led to accidental reentry as satellites fall back toward Earth. The project was intended to create a domestic alternative to the Starlink network to reduce reliance on foreign technology and support military operations.
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- ✓ None of the 16 satellites in the latest batch reached their intended operational orbit.
- ✓ The satellites were expected to operate at 870 kilometers above Earth.
- ✓ Many of the satellites are orbiting between 300 and 400 kilometers.
- ✓ The Russian Starlink alternative is named Rossvest.
What changed
All 16 satellites in the latest batch failed to reach their target altitude, with some already falling back to Earth.
Live updates
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All 16 Russian Satellites for Starlink Rival Fail to Reach Target Orbit
Russia's Rossvest satellite network has suffered a total failure of its latest launch, with none of the 16 satellites reaching their intended operational altitude. While the satellites were designed to operate at 870 kilometers, many are currently orbiting between 300 and 400 kilometers. This failure has led to accidental reentry as satellites fall back toward Earth. The project was intended to create a domestic alternative to the Starlink network to reduce reliance on foreign technology and support military operations.
Why it matters
Russia is attempting to build a satellite constellation to mirror the capabilities of Starlink. This network is viewed as a strategic necessity to provide communication and surveillance capabilities that are independent of Western infrastructure. The failure delays the deployment of a system meant to threaten Ukrainian communications.
What is confirmed
- None of the 16 satellites in the latest batch reached their intended operational orbit.
- The satellites were expected to operate at 870 kilometers above Earth.
- Many of the satellites are orbiting between 300 and 400 kilometers.
- The Russian Starlink alternative is named Rossvest.
What to watch next
- Confirmation of the total number of satellites lost to atmospheric reentry
- Official Russian government response regarding the launch failure
- Timeline for a replacement launch of the satellite batch
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (10)
- Kyiv Post — Russia’s Starlink Rival Falters as Entire Satellite Batch Misses Target Altitude
- Institute for the Study of War — Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 31, 2026
- Euronews.com — Russia's Starlink copycat has failed so far, but still threatens Ukraine
- UNITED24 Media — Russia Wanted Its Own Starlink. Now Its Satellites Are Falling Before the Network Even Takes Off
- EUobserver — Russia’s answer to Starlink satellites seen falling towards earth (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,650)
- Newsweek — Russia’s Race to Replace Starlink Is Failing
- Business Insider — All 16 of Russia's latest satellites for its Starlink rival failed to reach their intended orbit
- yahoo.com — Russia's Rossvest Starlink Alternative Is Already Losing Satellites to Accidental Reentry
- Українська правда — Russian Starlink analogue fails as none of 16 satellites reaches operational orbit
- www.techspot.com — Russia's Starlink rival is already struggling as satellites fail to reach their planned orbits
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