WASHINGTON, Oct 22: The United States has accused Russia of engaging in potentially threatening activities in space, alleging that its COSMOS 2612 military satellite deliberately manoeuvred dangerously close to a commercial spacecraft.
Thomas G DiNanno, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, raised the issue in a post on X following remarks at the United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee.
“Russia’s COSMOS 2612 military satellite has been exhibiting threatening behavior by intentionally maneuvering dangerously close to a commercial satellite, behaviors consistent with on orbit weapons operations,” DiNanno said.
According to a Fox News report, the Russian spacecraft approached within approximately 100 feet of a US-Finnish radar satellite that provides critical intelligence to Ukraine. The reported proximity has heightened concerns about the potential risks posed by military manoeuvres in low Earth orbit.
A US administration official described the alleged incident as a violation of long-established safety thresholds governing operations in the region.
“The United States will continue to secure and defend American vital national security interests in, from, and to space,” the official said.
Satellite-tracking firms reportedly identified the close-proximity manoeuvres as highly unusual, prompting renewed concerns within US Space Command about the possible development or deployment of anti-satellite capabilities that could threaten Western security infrastructure.
The incident has also drawn attention to Washington’s own military activities in orbit. Fox News reported that the US Air Force recently confirmed the existence of American defensive space-control weapons, highlighting the growing strategic importance of space-based security systems.
The allegations come at a sensitive moment in US-Russia relations, with diplomatic efforts underway to find a resolution to the war in Ukraine.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday as part of Washington’s efforts to advance proposals for ending the conflict and establish a framework for broader negotiations.
The meeting followed Witkoff’s discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway on Tuesday. According to CNN, the US envoy described the Oslo talks as productive, with their outcomes remaining central to the subsequent diplomatic engagement with Moscow.
The reported satellite encounter adds another layer of tension to an already complex geopolitical environment, as Washington pursues negotiations over Ukraine while expressing concern about Russia’s military activities in space.
The allegations have not, in the information provided, been independently established as evidence of an operational anti-satellite attack. The episode nevertheless underscores the growing importance of space security, particularly as military and intelligence operations increasingly depend on satellites for surveillance, communications and strategic coordination.