"We Won't Leave Civilian Satellites Helping Ukraine Alone" [Reading Science]

Russia Issues 'Warning' as US Responds
Rising Tensions in Space Conflict

Imaginary image of a satellite destroyed by enemy attack.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] As human activities expand into outer space, various conflicts are also intensifying, and the Russia-Ukraine war is showing signs of extending into space. Russia has warned of attacks on private satellites such as the United States' SpaceX, which is assisting Ukraine. In response, the U.S. government is also preparing countermeasures including compensation, indicating that the conflict is deepening.

According to space-specialized media Space.com on the 16th (local time), Konstantin Voronchov, Russia’s representative to the United Nations (UN) Office for Disarmament Affairs and affiliated with the Russian Foreign Ministry, publicly issued such a warning at the UN Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) meeting on reducing space threats held in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 12th. He stated that SpaceX’s Starlink satellites supporting Ukraine and satellites belonging to Western private companies providing ground observation information are involved in the war and thus could become legitimate targets for attack.

He said, "I want to draw attention to the very dangerous activities beyond the peaceful use of exoatmospheric space technology occurring while the war is raging in Ukraine," and claimed, "The use of commercial and private satellite assets by the United States and its allies in the Ukraine war constitutes indirect involvement in military conflict, regardless of their awareness." In particular, Voronchov publicly warned of possible retaliatory attacks on private satellites, stating, "So-called 'quasi-private infrastructure' can be legitimate targets for retaliation."

Voronchov added, "At the very least, it is questionable whether such provocative operations of private satellites comply with the Outer Space Treaty (agreed upon by the UN) that governs the peaceful use of exoatmospheric space," and said, "They should be strongly condemned by the international community."

At the same meeting, Russia also clearly opposed a U.S.-led resolution to ban anti-satellite missile (ASAT) tests, which is expected to be submitted at the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York later this month. Voronchov warned, "We caution against adopting a resolution by a small group to dominate space without considering the circumstances of all UN member states," and urged, "UN member states must comply with international obligations not to deploy any kind of weapons in exoatmospheric space, including orbits around Earth and celestial bodies."

Meanwhile, the U.S. government has already begun preparing countermeasures against Russia’s threats. According to another space-specialized media SpaceNews, senior officials from the U.S. defense and intelligence agencies held a meeting on the 13th to discuss compensation plans in case private satellites used in military operations are damaged by enemy attacks.

David Gauthier, director of the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, explained, "If private satellites become partners in joint operations, we have an obligation to consider commercial protection," adding, "We are in deep discussions with industry stakeholders, but it is still under negotiation."

After Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February, the U.S. urgently supported 5,000 Starlink space internet terminals from Elon Musk’s SpaceX to assist Ukrainian military operations. Private satellite intelligence companies such as BlackSky and Maxar Technologies also indirectly supported Ukraine by releasing or providing satellite images. Russia has strongly opposed this by jamming signals and hacking attacks on Starlink satellites. Last November, Russia successfully conducted an experiment destroying its own defunct satellite with an anti-satellite missile, clearly demonstrating its capabilities to the U.S.