Chinese satellites spotted over western Ukraine amid Russian attack

At least three Chinese reconnaissance satellites were observed over western Ukraine during Russia’s massive attack on the night of Oct. 5, according to military-focused outlet Militarnyi.

Journalists cited data from the satellite tracking service Heavens Above. The Yaogan 33, Yaogan 33-03, and Yaogan 33-04 satellites were recorded over Lviv, making nine passes between midnight and around 11:30 am.

The optical reconnaissance satellite Yaogan 34 was detected at around 6:00 am. Militarnyi said that it made seven passes over the region throughout the day.

“Chinese reconnaissance satellites don’t just fly over western Ukraine. Overall, the orbital parameters allow more than 60 different Yaogan-series satellites to operate over Ukraine,” the outlet said.

These satellites orbit at about 700 km and complete a full rotation around the Earth roughly every 90 minutes.

Little is publicly known about their capabilities. China claims they are used for scientific and environmental research, but journalists said they are believed to function as military reconnaissance satellites.

Lviv Region became the main target of another large-scale attack on Ukraine, experiencing the heaviest bombardment since the full-scale invasion began, local authorities said.

As many as 163 aerial targets were recorded in western Ukraine from 549 air attack assets launched by Russia on the night of Oct. 5.

The attack involved 140 drones and 23 cruise missiles. A family of four, including a 15-year-old girl, was killed in the village of Lapaiivka, according to the Lviv regional prosecutor’s office.