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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has repeatedly asked U.S. President Donald Trump to sanction Russian and Chinese companies he says are helping develop Rassvet, a proposed Russian satellite network intended to rival Starlink. The latest reported discussion took place in New York during the United Nations General Assembly period. The request is not confirmation that the United States has imposed sanctions, or that Rassvet is already an operational service.
What Zelenskyy asked Trump to do
In an interview with the Financial Times, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda on 3 October 2026, Zelenskyy said he had asked Trump multiple times to sanction Russian and Chinese companies involved in developing Rassvet. He said he raised the issue most recently when the two met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Ukrainska Pravda quoted Zelenskyy as saying: “We know that China works on satellites, works on the possibility of helping Russia with a similar Starlink.” That is Zelenskyy’s allegation; the reports cited here do not independently establish Chinese involvement or identify all the companies he wants sanctioned.
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What is Rassvet?
Reuters described Rassvet as a Russian domestic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink and reported that it is being developed by IKS Holding. The company’s chief executive, Alexei Shelobkov, said in June that operations were planned for 2027, according to Reuters reporting republished by Internazionale.
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Reuters reported that 16 low-orbit satellites were launched in March and that the company planned to expand the system to 900 satellites over several years. Those are reported deployment figures and a longer-term plan—not evidence of a functioning 900-satellite network, verified coverage, or a consumer-ready service.
When could it begin operating?
The timing is not settled in the reports. Zelenskyy reportedly put possible operations at the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. IKS Holding’s reported plan, stated by its CEO in June, was to begin operations in 2027. These are a political estimate and a company plan, respectively, not confirmation that service has begun or will meet either date.
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Why Ukrainian officials want sanctions
Ukrainian officials warn that a completed Rassvet network could support real-time targeting in Ukraine. Reuters quoted Denys Sienik, deputy chief of mission at Ukraine’s embassy in Washington, warning: “If they launch Rassvet by the end of 2026, they will be able to target to hit Ukrainian targets real time on our territory.” This describes a possible future military capability as assessed by a Ukrainian official; the cited reports do not provide an independent technical test demonstrating it.
Sienik also argued that sanctions could impede the project, saying: “If these entities are not sanctioned, it will actually make this program possible for Russia and that will be a game-changer.” The reported accounts do not lay out the evidence against each company or establish what effect any particular sanctions would have.
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What is known about the U.S. sanctions process?
Ukraine planned to submit a list of Russian companies, vessels, and individuals for possible U.S. sanctions under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, the Associated Press reported on 30 September 2026. The AP said Trump signed the law on 18 September and that the administration faced an 18 October deadline to decide which Russian entities, if any, to sanction. That broader deadline does not establish that the administration accepted Zelenskyy’s specific request or that it had decided to sanction Rassvet-related companies.
Ukraine had also announced sanctions in June against ten Russian mobile operators and internet providers, including satellite communications operators, according to the President of Ukraine’s website. The announcement does not connect those companies to Rassvet, so it should not be read as a list of the firms Zelenskyy asked Trump to target.
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What remains unconfirmed
- The full list of Russian and Chinese companies Zelenskyy wants sanctioned, and the evidence against each one.
- Whether the U.S. government will act on this particular request.
- Whether Rassvet has begun commercial operations, what areas it can serve, or what performance it can deliver.
- Whether Chinese entities are assisting the project; the cited coverage reports Zelenskyy’s claim but does not independently verify it.
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