No longer a competitor to the US and China: war and sanctions have destroyed the Russian space industry
Фото: ЦПД
Russia is rapidly losing ground in the space industry due to international sanctions, isolation, and the redistribution of resources in favor of the military sector.
According to the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Russian Federation is no longer able to compete with global leaders in the field – the United States and China.
According to the CPS, Russia’s space program is in deep crisis: launches for foreign clients have almost completely stopped, and access to critical Western technologies has been blocked. This has effectively paralyzed the development of new projects and eliminated Russia from the international space services market.
One of the largest and oldest players in the Russian space industry, the Energia rocket and space corporation, is in critical financial condition. The head of the company, Igor Maltsev, has publicly admitted that the corporation is drowning in debt, losing specialists and is at risk of ceasing operations.
In addition, the private holding company SR Space, which until recently announced plans to “revolutionize” the segment of light launch vehicles and satellite networks, was also declared bankrupt.
The Center’s specialists emphasize that in the current conditions of war, Moscow is redirecting resources from peaceful technologies to the defense sector, effectively turning a once priority industry into a secondary direction.
“Russia has lost technology, personnel, and customers. The myth of a “great space power” is crumbling before our eyes. The industry is rapidly degrading, and the country is losing credibility as a partner in international space programs,” the CPS notes.
As a reminder, wage arrears are on the rise in Russia. In July 2025 alone, debts increased by almost 2 billion rubles.
As reported, on Sunday, August 11, Ukrainian military intelligence launched a drone strike on a strategic enterprise deep in Russia — the Orenburg Helium Plant.
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