The U.S. Intelligence Community believes that the Russian government has launched an anti-Satellite weapon into space that is currently deployed near American satellites.
U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood, who serves as the U.S. Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations, made the revelation on Monday while speaking at the U.N.
“On May 16, Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that the United States assesses is likely a counterspace weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit,” Wood said. “Russia deployed this new counterspace weapon into the same orbit as a US government satellite.”
CNN noted that Russia previously launched an anti-Satellite weapon into space back in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.
The news comes after U.S. officials warned earlier this year that they believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is developing an anti-satellite nuclear weapon.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) brought attention to the matter in February when he warned that a foreign adversary was working on creating a “destabilizing” weapon and urged President Joe Biden to declassify the intelligence surrounding the weapon. Subsequent reporting said that the potential weapon would be used to knock out satellites critical to U.S. national security.
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Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution last month proposed by the United States and Japan reaffirming the obligation of countries that signed the Outer Space Treaty not to place nuclear weapons in orbit around the Earth. The resolution would ban member states from developing nuclear weapons specifically designed to be placed in orbit.
“As we have noted previously, the United States assesses that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement in April. “We have heard President Putin say publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space. If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution.”
Related: Biden Admin Reportedly Warning Putin Not To Put Nuke In Space