Speaking at the round table at the Federation Council on November 11, 2005, Lt.-Gen. Oleg Gromov promised that in 2006 the Space Forces will launch another Kobalt-M optical reconnaissance satellite, which is apparently a modification of the Yantar-4KS2/Kobalt. The first satellite of this type, Cosmos-2410, was launched in September 2004. That flight, however, was not entirely successful – the satellite seemed to malfunction during the flight and then was lost after an earlier than planned reentry. The program, however, continues. Gromov said that the plan is to launch one Kobalt-M every year.

In addition to this, Gromov mentioned a new program, Persona, which he said will reach the flight test stage in 2007. The program seems to be aimed at development of an electronic optical reconnaissance satellite that would include a telescope/sensor package known as 17V321, which is being built at LOMO. This package was reported to be a modification of the 17V317 one, installed on Arkon satellites. The Persona program, however, is quite separate from Arkon.

Here is where accounts begin to differ. The LOMO site seems to suggest that Persona is part of the Condor program, which includes a satellite developed at NPO Mashinostroyeniye to be deployed by the Strela launcher. Other sources suggest that the new telescope will be deployed on a satellite that is being built by TsSKB in Samara and which would be a modified Resurs-DK spacecraft (which is yet to be flown itself).