At least three Chinese Yaogan 33 reconnaissance satellites passed over western Ukraine during Russia’s October 5 missile-and-drone barrage that concentrated on the region, reports Militarnyi, citing tracking data from the Heavens Above monitoring service.
The source reported that over Lviv, the Yaogan 33, Yaogan 33-03 and Yaogan 33-04 satellites were detected, making nine passes over the region from the north by 11:30 a.m. Around 6 a.m., another spacecraft — the optical satellite Yaogan 34 — entered the region, completing seven orbits over the area throughout the day.
In total, orbital parameters allow more than 60 Yaogan-series satellites to conduct observation over Ukraine. They can carry out optical, radar and signals intelligence.
Satellites in this series fly in low Earth orbit — around 700 km — enabling a full orbit every 90 minutes.
China officially says Yaogan 33 satellites are designed for scientific research and natural resource monitoring. But Western analysts consider them military reconnaissance platforms equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), similar to ICEYE satellites.
In early October 2025, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported documented instances of China transferring satellite reconnaissance data to Russia that were used to conduct missile strikes on Ukraine, including against sites backed by foreign investors.
Reports of China-Russia cooperation in satellite intelligence had surfaced earlier as well. According to U.S. intelligence, China provides Moscow with all necessary intelligence, used not only against Ukraine but also to monitor NATO troops in Europe.
In 2022, a company linked to the Wagner private military group purchased two high-resolution Earth observation satellites from Chinese giant Chang Guang Satellite Technology (CGST). The contract exceeded $30 million and included access to imagery from CGST’s entire satellite network.
On the night of October 5, Russia launched a combined strike on Ukraine using attack drones as well as air-, sea- and ground-launched missiles. A total of 549 aerial attack assets were used; air defenses neutralized 478.
In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, critical infrastructure came under attack
