Satellite images show damage at a space center supporting Russia's Starlink rival after a Ukrainian missile strike
Satellite imagery confirms damage to Russia's Progress Rocket Space Center following a Ukrainian missile strike. The facility is critical to Russia's efforts to develop a domestic satellite internet constellation to replace Starlink.
Why it matters
The strike demonstrates Ukraine's increasing ability to target strategic Russian infrastructure deep within its borders, impacting Russia's space and communications capabilities.
Ukrainian forces struck the Progress Rocket Space Center in Russia over the weekend. Satellite image ©2026 Vantor. New satellite images show damage at a Russian space center after a Ukrainian missile attack. The space center produces rockets that launch satellites for Russia's alternative to Starlink. Russia was cut off from using Starlink earlier this year, so it is pushing to field its own version. New satellite imagery shows damage at a Russian space center linked to Moscow's version of SpaceX's Starlink following a Ukrainian attack over the weekend. The imagery, captured on Tuesday by US spatial intelligence firm Vantor and obtained by Business Insider, shows a hole in the roof of a building at the Progress Rocket Space Center in Samara, a city in western Russia, as well as damage to the exterior.
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