Russian Foreign Ministry: US satellites may become strike targets if used in Ukraine
U.S. commercial satellites may become legitimate targets for a strike if they are used in the conflict in Ukraine. This was stated on Wednesday, October 26, by Konstantin Vorontsov, deputy head of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
He noted that a dangerous trend has been identified in the course of events in Ukraine. According to him, the issue is the use by the United States and its allies of civilian infrastructure components in space in armed conflicts. Vorontsov specified that he was also referring to commercial satellites.
“Quasi-civilian infrastructure could be a legitimate target for retaliation. As a result of Western actions, the sustainability of peaceful space activities as well as numerous socio-economic processes on earth on which human well-being depends, primarily in developing countries, are at unreasonable risk,” Vorontsov said, speaking at a meeting of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly.
Earlier in the day, Vorontsov urged the West not to view space as an arena of conflict, in connection with which Russia submitted for consideration by the First Committee of the UN General Assembly a resolution on non-deployment of first weapons in space. He noted that the implementation by Western countries led by the United States of America of their plans to place weapons in space and “use outer space for conducting combat operations” for their domination in the world is alarming and threatening. At the same time, Vorontsov added that at this stage it is still possible to avoid an arms race in space.