Medvedev warns blocking Russia's Rassvet satellites would mean space war

In short

Deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that blocking Russia's Rassvet satellite constellation could only mean its destruction and would lead to a full-scale space war, writing on Telegram that he hoped the United States understands this. He added that US low-orbit Starlink satellites would then fall “like toys from a dried-up Christmas tree” and called for mutual politeness because space is “a very tight place”. Vedomosti reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Financial Times he had repeatedly asked US President Donald Trump to sanction Russian and Chinese companies tied to the Rassvet network.

Why it matters

The statement ties commercial satellite networks directly to Russia-US tensions and raises the prospect of conflict in orbit, after Kyiv's requests for sanctions on the companies behind Rassvet. Kommersant noted that interference with satellite communications does not necessarily mean destroying spacecraft, citing a 2023 International Telecommunication Union position that blocking can concern user access rather than the orbital constellation, and that Russian authorities treat low-orbit systems as cross-border dual-use infrastructure.

Key facts

• Deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that blocking the Rassvet satellite constellation “can only mean its destruction” and would lead to a full-scale space war. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
• Medvedev wrote the statement on his Telegram channel and expressed hope that the United States understands this. [ 4 , 5 ]
• According to Vedomosti and Kommersant, Medvedev said US low-orbit Starlink satellites would fall “like toys [or ornaments] from a dried-up Christmas tree”. [ 4 , 5 ]
• Medvedev said space is “a very tight place” and called for mutual politeness, according to Vedomosti and Kommersant. [ 4 , 5 ]
• Vedomosti reported that Zelensky told the Financial Times he had “several times” asked US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Russian and Chinese companies connected with developing the Rassvet satellite network. [ 4 ]
• Kommersant reported that 16 Rassvet low-orbit satellites were placed in orbit in March, with a second batch launched in July; Vedomosti dated the satellites' placement in orbit to 23 March. [ 4 , 5 ]
• Kommersant reported that President Vladimir Putin said Rassvet is not inferior to Elon Musk's Starlink and may “even surpass it in some ways”, with commercial operation targeted for 2027. [ 5 ]
• Kommersant noted that interference with satellite communications does not necessarily mean the destruction of spacecraft, citing a 2023 International Telecommunication Union position that Starlink terminals in Iran could be switched off where technically possible. [ 5 ]

What local media are saying

Timeline, local time

1. 10:06RIA Novosti publishes a report that Medvedev warned about the consequences of blocking the Rassvet satellites. [ 1 ]
2. 10:08TASS publishes Medvedev's statement that “blocking” the Rassvet satellite group would lead to a space war. [ 2 ]
3. 10:19RBC reports that Medvedev said blocking Rassvet could only mean its destruction and would lead to a full-fledged space war. [ 3 ]
4. 10:25Vedomosti reports Medvedev's Telegram post, including his hope that the United States understands, and cites Zelensky's Financial Times interview on sanctions requests. [ 4 ]
5. 10:39Kommersant reports Medvedev's threat of a space war and adds background on the Rassvet launches and on how blocking could be interpreted. [ 5 ]