“It’s a weapon”
USA feels threatened by Russian satellites
May 22, 2024, 11:01 a.m
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Russia sends a satellite into space. It has been flying in the same orbit as a US satellite for a few days. Americans are alarmed. The Defense Ministry believes it is a Russian weapon. The Kremlin recently wanted to ban an arms race in space.
According to US information, Russia has sent a satellite into space that could be a weapon. The missile spotted is in low-Earth orbit, according to Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, and could probably attack other satellites. Similar Russian launches have already taken place in 2019 and 2022.
The Russian satellite has been in the same orbit as a US government satellite since May 16, Ryder added. When asked if the object posed a threat to the US satellite, Ryder said: “Well, it is a space defense weapon in the same orbit as a US government satellite.”
The American UN representative Robert Wood had previously expressed similar views to Ryder. On Monday, a Russian resolution against an arms race in space failed in the UN Security Council. Of 15 countries in New York, 7 voted for the resolution and 7 against it – one of the opposing votes came from the USA. In view of a US resolution against nuclear weapons in space that failed last month due to Russia’s veto, Wood spoke of a manipulative tactic by Moscow.
In February, US reports about Russia’s nuclear ambitions in space caused a stir. The nuclear potential should be directed against satellites and could therefore pose a threat to national and international security, it was said. The US government then announced that Russia was developing military capabilities for use against satellites. US President Joe Biden said at the time that there was “no nuclear threat to the people of America or anywhere else in the world.” Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the reports and said he was against stationing nuclear weapons in space.