Afət Ziyadqızı
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has accused the United States of putting humanity at risk for its narrow interests after Washington acknowledged deploying military systems in space.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official representative, that foreign media outlets reported on the matter.
According to the reports, Zakharova reacted strongly after US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference that the United States had deployed “counterspace weapons” in orbit. The Russian official said Washington was completely disregarding the catastrophic consequences that an armed conflict in space could have for all humanity.
She said Moscow would submit three key draft resolutions to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly to prevent the deployment of weapons in space, end the arms race and increase transparency.
Analysts and defense experts reportedly assess the US systems as electronic warfare tools capable of disrupting enemy satellites’ communications, radio-jamming systems or “hunter” satellites. The statement was also described as carrying a political message to China and Russia, which are rapidly developing their military capabilities in orbit. China and Russia have long been conducting tests involving anti-satellite technologies and space platforms with maneuvering capabilities.
Outer space has become an increasingly important domain for communications, navigation, intelligence and military operations. International discussions on preventing an arms race in space have continued for decades, although no comprehensive legally binding treaty banning all weapons in space has been adopted.
