US claims Russia is developing anti-satellite capability

The White House announced on Thursday that it believes Russia is developing an anti-satellite weapon. According to US intelligence officials, Russia has acquired this capability, although the weapon is not currently operational. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby emphasized that while Russia’s pursuit of this capability is troubling, it does not pose an immediate threat to safety. Kirby clarified that the weapon is not designed to attack human beings or cause physical destruction on Earth.

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Mechanism of Anti-Satellite Weapons

Almudena Azcarate Ortega, specializing in space security at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, explained that counterspace weapons don’t cause physical harm. Instead, they disrupt crucial satellite communications. “It would involve a non-kinetic capability, such as a jammer,” she told DW.

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Kremlin Dismisses Claims as ‘Ruse’

The White House decided to make the announcement on Thursday following a request from Mike Turner, the Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee, who urged the Biden administration to declassify information regarding what he described as a significant threat to national security. John Kirby stated that the declassification process had already begun when Turner released his statement the day before, which he termed as “regrettable”.

In contrast, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the American claims, dismissing them as a tactic aimed at pressuring Congress to authorize additional defense funding for Ukraine.