Iryna Pohorila07:48, 15.08.26

On the morning of August 15, Flamingo missiles hit the Progress Rocket and Space Center (RSC) in Samara.

The Governor of the Samara Region, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, has already confirmed the damage, but traditionally did not specify which enterprise he was talking about.

It is known that the Progress RCC produces Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicles, which are used to launch the Rassvet satellite internet devices into orbit, which is the Russian analogue of Starlink.

Not far from the RCC is the Aviakor plant, which repairs and modernizes aircraft. Previously, the fire could have affected building No. 106, a key workshop where aircraft are assembled.

A fire after the explosions was also recorded in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia, namely in the area of ​​the Savasleyka airfield, where MiG-31K aircraft are based – carriers of the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

Rassvet communication system: what is known

As UNIAN reported, Russia plans to deploy a constellation of low-orbit satellites to control “heavy drones.” The first three satellites of the constellation were launched into orbit from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in 2023. 

In May 2024, three more satellites were launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome  . These devices were more powerful than the previous ones. In particular, they tested satellite communication equipment supporting the 5G NTN standard, as well as laser communication channels between satellites.

On August 11, Serhiy (Flash) Beskrestnov, a radio technology specialist and advisor to the President of Ukraine, noted that after the deployment of the Rassvet satellite network, the Russians will be able to attack all of Ukraine using  online-controlled drones. According to him, the enemy’s Rassvet satellite network will become a problem for Ukraine.

(c)UNIAN 2026