Russia threatened to shoot down Western satellites used to help Ukraine

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Konstantin Vorontsov said that Russia may consider Western commercial satellites as its legitimate targets if they are used to help Ukraine in the war. His statement was quoted by the Russian TASS news agency.

Vorontsov is the deputy director of the department for non-proliferation and arms control of the Russian Foreign Ministry, his statement was made at a meeting of the first committee of the UN General Assembly.

He called the use by the United States and other Western countries of “components of civilian infrastructure in space, including commercial, in armed conflicts a “dangerous tendency” …., which was especially evident during the war in Ukraine.

“Quasi-civilian infrastructure can become a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike. Due to the actions of the West, there are unjustified risks for peaceful activities in space and numerous socio-economic processes on earth, on which the well-being of people depends, especially in developing countries,” Vorontsov said.

The Starlink satellite communication system from SpaceX plays an extremely important role for Ukrainian military to repel the attacks of the Russian invading troops.

In addition, the funds raised by the Ukrainians allowed to acquire access to information from the constellation of satellites of the Finnish company ICEYE for more than a year, as well as full access to one of the satellites until the end of its functionality in orbit.

As a reminder, in November 2021, Russia tested anti-satellite weapons in space, posing a threat to the ISS with debris, the ArmsControl reported. Russia conducted a direct-ascent hit-to-kill anti-satellite test, striking a Russian satellite and reducing in into more than 1,500 pieces of orbital debris.