The US Pentagon accuses Moscow of launching a space weapon and placing it in the orbit of a US government satellite.

“Russia has placed a satellite into low Earth orbit that we believe is a space weapon capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit,” Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder announced during a press conference.

The space weapon launched on May 16 orbited a US government satellite, the spokesman said. Washington is ready to protect its interests and will continue to monitor the situation, Ryder stated. “We have an obligation to be ready to protect and defend the space sector,” he said.

Russia’s reaction

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the information.

“I cannot make any comment on the matter. We are acting in full compliance with international law, we are not violating anything, and we have taken a position countless times in favor of banning all weapons in space,” he said. “Unfortunately, our initiatives have also been rejected by the United States.”

Yesterday, Moscow accused the United States of seeking to put weapons in space after Washington vetoed a Russian non-proliferation proposal at the United Nations.

“They showed again that their real priorities in the field of Outer Space are not aimed at protecting Space from any weapon, but at developing weapons in Space and turning it into an arena of military confrontation,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in her statement.

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In recent months, the US and Russia have accused each other of intending to develop weapons in space. In this context, the two superpowers have submitted competing Non-Proliferation proposals to the United Nations.

Russia vetoed the US initiative last month, while Moscow’s proposal was blocked by the US, UK and France during a vote on Monday.

US Ambassador Robert Wood said Russia’s proposal calling on all countries “to take urgent measures to immediately prevent the development of weapons in Outer Space” was aimed at diverting attention and accused Moscow of resorting to “diplomatic manipulation ».

He also said the May 16 launch follows other “launches of Russian satellites capable of being equipped with anti-satellite systems in low Earth orbit in 2019 and 2022.” In February, the White House announced that Russia was developing an anti-satellite weapon.

Tensions between Moscow and Washington, with the war in Ukraine as a backdrop, have brought back the Cold War-era threat of the militarization of space, despite a 1967 treaty (the Outer Space Treaty) that prohibits “the development of nuclear weapons, or any weapon of mass destruction specially designed to be put into orbit’.