We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
Late Tuesday, the Pentagon warned that a satellite launched on May 17 from a site north of Moscow is “likely a counter space weapon,” one that could attack other satellites. The Defense Department spokesman also warned that Russia’s satellite is now in the same low-Earth orbit as a US government satellite. Just after the launch, Russia's state space agency noted this move was “in the interests of the defense ministry of the Russian Federation.”
There’s no indication Russia will open a much larger conflict with NATO by pushing Baltic Sea boundaries as China has done in the South China Sea or that Russia will shoot down an American satellite. There’s nothing new about Russian muscle-flexing. But Western governments and intelligence agencies can’t afford to ignore these threats either. As defense experts often warn, once the capabilities are created, the willingness to use them may one day follow.