Key facts
- Ukraine sanctioned 10 companies and 19 individuals linked to Russia's Rassvet satellite system.
- Sanctions also target 39 vessels in Russia's shadow fleet.
- The Rassvet system could provide Russian forces with independent satellite communications for drones and missiles.
- Bureau 1440, Labs 1440, and FAB Rassvet are among the sanctioned entities.
- The sanctioned vessels transport Russian oil and gas products to various countries.
Ukraine imposed sanctions on October 30 against companies and individuals linked to Russia's Rassvet satellite system and its shadow fleet. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decrees targeting 10 companies and 19 Russian citizens involved in the Rassvet satellite system's development, as well as 39 vessels in Russia's shadow fleet. The Rassvet low-Earth orbit satellite network could provide Russian forces with independent satellite communications for controlling drones and missiles over long distances, a development Ukraine's presidential commissioner for sanctions policy described as a global threat. The sanctions aim to disrupt supply chains for the project, which relies on foreign technologies and components. Among the sanctioned entities are Bureau 1440, the system's developer, and affiliated companies Labs 1440 and FAB Rassvet, along with Belarusian firm Aerospace Instruments. The targeted vessels, which sail under various flags, transport Russian oil and gas products to countries including China, India, Egypt, and Turkey. Some of these tankers are already subject to sanctions from the EU, UK, US, Canada, Switzerland, and Australia.