Russia has accused the United States of spreading disinformation after the Pentagon announced that Moscow had launched what it assessed to be a counterspace weapon into the same orbit as a U.S. government satellite.
This latest clash between the Kremlin and Washington unfolds as Moscow initiates exercises to simulate the use of tactical nuclear weapons, a likely message to the West against deeper involvement in Ukraine.
In a briefing on Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder reported that the U.S. had determined that Moscow deployed the satellite on May 16. “Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that we assess is likely a counterspace weapon, presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit,” Ryder stated. He confirmed that the Russian satellite was launched into the same orbit as a U.S. government satellite but did not clarify whether the American satellite was in immediate danger.
The U.S. is monitoring the situation closely and is prepared to defend the “space domain,” Ryder added.
Russia’s state space agency, Roscosmos, issued a statement early on May 17 local time confirming that a Soyuz launch vehicle with “spacecraft on board” had taken off from its Plesetsk cosmodrome in northern Russia “in the interests of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.” It remains unclear if this launch was related to the counterspace weapon assessed by the U.S.
This incident marks the latest in a series of space-related disputes, coming three months after Washington expressed concerns that Russia was developing a space-based nuclear weapon potentially aimed at U.S. satellites. Moscow had vehemently denied these claims, with President Vladimir Putin stating he opposed the deployment of nuclear weapons in space.
The new U.S. assessment was quickly dismissed by Russia on Wednesday. “I don’t think we should respond to any information hoax from Washington,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by state news agency Tass. He emphasized that Russia has consistently opposed the deployment of weapons in low Earth orbit.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated in a daily briefing that Russia’s actions have complied with international law and that the country has repeatedly called for a ban on any weapons in space. These initiatives, including a recent Russian-drafted Security Council resolution to prevent the placement, threat, or use of weapons in outer space, have been turned down, notably by the U.S.
The Russian resolution failed on Monday, prompting Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to express disappointment, accusing the U.S. and its partners of revealing their “true priorities” in transforming space into a potential arena of military confrontation.
In contrast, Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted resolution last month aimed at preventing an arms race in outer space.
These rhetorical exchanges come amidst escalating tensions between Russia and the U.S. over Washington’s ongoing support for Ukraine in the two-year conflict. President Putin has repeatedly used nuclear brinkmanship, threatening to deploy Russia’s substantial nuclear arsenal if the nation’s existence is at risk.
On Tuesday, Russia’s defense ministry announced the commencement of drills on the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons in its Southern military district, which borders Ukraine. These exercises, ordered by Putin earlier this month, are said to be a response to “provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation,” potentially referring to discussions about deploying NATO troops to Ukraine.
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