Chinese spy satellites spotted over western Ukraine amid massive Russian attack
Photo: Russia carried out a massive strike on Ukraine on October 5 (t.me/dsns_telegram)
During the massive attack on Sunday, October 5, at least three Chinese reconnaissance satellites were detected over the Lviv region, reports Militarnyi.
Using the Heavens Above monitoring service, which tracks satellite movements, Militarnyi identified three satellites passing over the region: Chinese Yaogan 33, Yaogan 33-03, and Yaogan 33-04. Between midnight and about 11:30 AM Kyiv time, they passed over the region nine times.
Around 6:00 AM, the optical reconnaissance satellite Yaogan 34 was detected, completing seven orbits.
The Yaogan series satellites operate in low Earth orbit at about 700 kilometers, allowing them to complete a full orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes.
China's reconnaissance satellites fly not only over western Ukraine. Orbital parameters allow more than 60 different Yaogan satellites to pass over Ukrainian territory.
Photo: An Yaogan 8 reconnaissance satellite over the Dnipro River on October 5, 2025 (militarnyi.com)
These satellites can conduct optical, radar, and electronic intelligence.
The capabilities of Yaogan 33 remain unclear. Official data states they are used for scientific experiments, land resource studies, and disaster prevention. However, experts suggest they may actually be military reconnaissance tools equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR).
In early October, Oleh Alexandrov, a representative of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, told Ukrinform that Russia had received satellite data from China. These reports were reportedly used to plan missile strikes and targeted sites owned by foreign investors.
"There are facts indicating a high level of interaction between Russia and China in conducting satellite reconnaissance of Ukrainian territory to identify and further target strategic sites for destruction," Alexandrov said.
Russia's massive strike on October 5
On the night of Sunday, October 5, Russia carried out a large-scale combined attack on Ukraine, using drones, cruise missiles, and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
Lviv and the surrounding region were hit the hardest, first by drones and then by missiles launched from the Black Sea.
President Zelenskyy stated that Russians fired over 50 missiles and around 500 strike drones, including cruise missiles, Shaheds, and Kinzhal missiles.
For more details on the aftermath of Russia's combined attack on Ukraine overnight on October 5, read RBC-Ukraine's report.
