Russia is considering shooting down commercial Western satellites as payback for aiding Ukraine in the war, which could put the US and Kyiv’s other allies on a collision course with Moscow.
Konstantin Vorontsov, deputy head of Russia’s delegation at a UN arms control panel, said the use of Western satellites to help Ukrainian forces on the battlefield was “an extremely dangerous trend.”
“Quasi-civilian infrastructure may be a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike,” he told the UN First Committee, adding that the West’s use of such satellites to support Ukraine was “provocative.”
“We are talking about the involvement of components of civilian space infrastructure, including commercial, by the United States and its allies in armed conflicts,” said Vorontsov.
If the Kremlin makes good on its threat, it could potentially escalate the conflict even further and lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and Ukraine’s Western allies, led by the US.
There was no immediate reaction from the Biden administration or commercial satellite providers.
Vorontsov did not mention any specific satellite companies by name, though Elon Musk said earlier this month that his rocket company SpaceX would continue to fund its Starlink internet in Ukraine, citing the need for “good deeds,” after previously threatening to pull the plug on the free service.
Russia has some experience targeting satellites, having destroyed one of its own with a missile in 2021.
Moscow in August accused the US of direct involvement in the war after Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine’s deputy head of military intelligence, boasted to Britain’s Telegraph newspaper that Kyiv was using US-supplied HIMARS launchers based on what he called excellent satellite imagery and real-time information.
Satellite images of the conflict zone captured by commercial US satellite firms are pored over daily on Twitter by open-source intelligence experts who highlight the coordinates of potential Russian military vulnerabilities.
The Kremlin’s latest round of saber-rattling statements comes as Russian forces are being squeezed in the Kherson region ahead of Ukraine’s anticipated counteroffensive.
In a bid to weaken Ukraine’s resolve, Russia has been systemically destroying the country’s critical infrastructure, including power stations, ahead of the winter.
New York Post
