The Russian government has banned the import of foreign devices for transmitting and receiving radio waves from space communication objects – communication satellites – into the country, including Starlink terminals. The relevant decree was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on 29 April, Radio Liberty’s Russian Service reported.
The purpose of the ban, as stated in the document, is to “protect the national security” of Russia. The ban will be in effect for six months after the decree comes into force.
Starlink does not officially operate in Russia, but the Russian army has used its terminals to launch drones used against Ukraine. These devices enter Russia via third countries.
In late January, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Mikhail Fedorov asked SpaceX CEO Ilon Musk to limit the use of the system for Russia, after which reports emerged of terminals being disabled on the frontline.
In March 2026, it was reported that Russian company Bureau 1440, which is building the Russian analogue of Starlink, had launched the first 16 production satellites of the Rassvet low-orbit communications constellation into orbit. The constellation is expected to have 292 satellites by the end of 2030, with a total of 383 planned to be launched. The commercial launch of the service is scheduled for 2027.
The Bloomberg agency drew attention to the fact that Russia is seeking to create a satellite communications system “comparable in concept, though not yet in scale” to Starlink.