The United States (U.S.) intelligence officials have begun analyzing a series of secret Russian satellite launches from early 2022, revealing that Russia is developing weapons capable of destroying hundreds of satellites in Earth’s atmosphere.
The possibility of this has sparked panic among politicians from both major U.S. parties last week after Mike Turner, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, publicly warned of a “serious” threat to national security, and the Biden administration confirmed that Russia has developed anti-satellite technology.
Officials also speculate that Russia may launch weapons without detonation, serving as a threat to Western countries to retaliate against sanctions imposed on Moscow or aid sent to Ukraine by allies.
Violation of agreements and new sanctions
Launching nuclear weapons into space would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – a United Nations (UN) resolution signed by Russia, prohibiting the stationing of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, on the Moon, or any other celestial body. Violating this resolution could result in sanctions being imposed. Moscow is already under heavy sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine.
Steven Andreasen, a nuclear analyst at the University of Minnesota, says this treaty is one of the few from which Russia could withdraw, including the New START treaty, which limits the number of nuclear weapons and expires in February 2026.
The Russians dismiss the allegations
Putin dismissed the idea that Russia intends to launch nuclear weapons into space during a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday, as reported by several media outlets.
Russian officials claim the country has no hidden plan to launch nuclear weapons into space, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating last week that reports of such weapons are a “trick” by the White House administration to motivate politicians to vote for sending additional military aid to Ukraine.
Some politicians have attempted to downplay Turner’s warning, including Democrat Jim Himes, who stated that there is no current security threat and that it is a situation to be resolved “in the medium or long term.”
A day later, the Biden administration confirmed Turner’s words, stating that Russia has anti-satellite weapons, which White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called “troubling,” although he added that the weapons are not yet operational.
Although analysts warn that nuclear weapons in space could have catastrophic consequences, this would not be the first time such weapons have been launched into space. In July 1962, U.S. forces detonated a fusion bomb in the atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean.
The explosion was 500 times stronger than the one caused by the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and could be seen from across the ocean. A year later, the U.S., the United Kingdom (UK), and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) signed a treaty banning nuclear weapons in space, in the atmosphere, and underwater, N1 reports.
E.Dz.
