Activity of Russian satellites raises concerns for Starlink - German general
Kyiv • UNN
Russian military satellites maneuvered near an ICEYE satellite supporting Ukraine. A German general warned of risks to Starlink.
Observation of a Western satellite supporting Ukraine by a group of Russian military satellites at the beginning of this year demonstrates capabilities that could threaten commercial satellite constellations such as Elon Musk's Starlink, German Space Force Commander Michael Traut told Reuters, UNN writes.
Details
In May, Russia conducted a maneuver involving four military satellites, known as "Kosmos 2610–2613," near a commercial radar-imaging satellite, the U.S. Space Command reported. Finnish company ICEYE, which provides data to the United States and its allies, confirmed to Reuters that it was one of its satellites.
Major General Michael Traut, head of Germany's space command, described the Russian spacecraft as "pursuing" an ICEYE satellite that provides intelligence imagery.
"Russia is demonstrating ways that, if used directly against such a mega-constellation of satellites as Starlink, could affect their service life" and the quality of service for all users, not just Ukraine, General Traut told Reuters. He said the satellites' capabilities could be disrupted even without a direct attack.
"This worries me greatly," he said.
His concerns, the publication notes, highlight Western militaries' growing dependence on commercial satellite networks, raising the question of who should protect them. Traut's comments also came amid accusations by European officials that Russia is escalating sabotage activities in the region aimed at undermining support for Ukraine, including recent drone attacks and arson, as well as a plot to disable undersea cables, the publication writes.
According to Western military officials, Russia's interference with Western space systems has increased significantly since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in 2022. They say this includes ground-based jamming and orbital surveillance aimed at gathering intelligence and testing the West's tolerance.
Russia's Defense Ministry did not respond to Reuters' questions about its satellite activities. Moscow has repeatedly warned that commercial Western satellites assisting Ukraine could become legitimate targets for retaliatory action. It denies conducting sabotage operations in NATO countries, the publication writes.
SpaceX, which operates Starlink, did not respond to a request for comment.
Russia's "gray-zone" tactics
German General Traut said that an overt attack on a Starlink satellite would constitute a serious escalation, but Moscow could use "gray-zone" tactics. He described a hypothetical scenario in which a Russian satellite drifts into Starlink's orbit and then breaks up, forcing the satellites to carry out resource-intensive avoidance maneuvers that could shorten their service life.
Two other Western officials told Reuters that Russian activity is raising concerns about Starlink, the world's largest satellite constellation.
Russia does not disclose the capabilities of the "Kosmos" satellite group, the publication notes.
The move into "close proximity" to ICEYE may have been intended for surveillance, preparation for future interference, or to provide signal-transmission capabilities, said Belinda Marchan, chief scientist at the U.S. space intelligence company Slingshot Aerospace.
ICEYE CEO Rafal Modrzewski told Reuters that the company later moved its satellite, triggering further Russian maneuvers. The episode showed how satellites can increasingly move close to one another "either for surveillance or potentially to cause harm," he said. The episode underscores the need to monitor activity in orbit, Modrzewski said, and raises questions about the need for protection.
As part of a large-scale spending plan to strengthen its own space capabilities, Germany is developing inspector satellites and considering the creation of orbital weapons capable of disrupting hostile space activity without destroying targets, Traut said.
The German armed forces have also signed a contract with ICEYE and a German company to create dozens of satellites, including to support NATO's eastern flank.