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Russia's getting ready to launch more than 100 satellites, and it's all about drones
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Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Bakunov says the new network will include 102 satellites
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and one platform built to control unmanned aerial systems. It's part of a wider space push, which also includes 886 broadband satellites
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under the Rosvet program and over 114 more for Earth observation. The full plan heads to Russia's National Projects Council for review on June 10th
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Why now? Drones are reshaping the war in Ukraine. The Royal United Services Institute says unmanned systems are responsible for most of the damage to Russian equipment this year
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They've hit tanks, airfields, naval targets, even strategic bombers deep in Siberia
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Many of the drones cost just a few hundred dollars. To counter this, Russia has upgraded its jamming technology to spur supply hubs and shifted to smaller, faster ground units, often using motorcycles to evade detection
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The Kremlin says it built 1.4 million drones last year. Ukraine aims to top that in 2025 with a goal of 2.5 million and billions invested in AI-assisted systems
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This is where the satellites come in. Russia's new constellation is meant to boost drone coordination and extend its range
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Key advantages as the airspace gets more crowded and more automated. Both sides are moving fast toward drones that don't need human control
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using fiber optic links and onboard AI to bypass jamming and strike on their own
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Bakunov also teased long-term plans for a new orbital station and reusable launch vehicles
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But in the near term, Russia's goal is clear. control the skies from space to survive the drone war below
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