One of Russia's Major Propaganda Satellites 'Express-AT1' Ceases Operation

The Russian communications satellite 'Express-AT1', used to broadcast television channels across Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, unexpectedly stopped working on March 4, 2026, due to a technical failure. Attempts by engineers to restore the satellite were unsuccessful, and it is now considered irretrievably lost. Launched in 2014 and designed for operations until about 2030, the satellite transmitted signals for major Russian satellite TV providers including NTV Plus, Tricolor TV, and Russkiy Mir, serving millions of households. The outage disrupted TV services across wide areas in Russia and occupied Ukraine, affecting approximately five million households, with some providers trying to reroute signals via other satellites. The Russian state propaganda channel Russkiy Mir, fully reliant on Express-AT1, lost its main broadcasting platform. Sanctions have restricted Russia's access to foreign satellite infrastructure, complicating restoration efforts, while local authorities in occupied territories have limited residents' ability to receive European satellite signals. The cause of the failure is unknown, with possibilities including technical malfunction, external impact, or cyber incident. Plans exist for a replacement satellite, Express-AT3, not expected to be operational until late in the decade. The loss revealed weaknesses in Russia’s satellite TV infrastructure and lack of immediate backup capacity.