Russian authorities threatened to attack commercial satellites that are crucial to the Pentagon and Ukraine if the West continues to meddle in the European war, prompting an immediate reply from the US government.
On Thursday, the White House said that any attack on American infrastructure would be dealt with in an "appropriate way." The statement came after a Russian official warned that Moscow could strike any commercial satellites that they see as legitimate targets that are assisting Ukraine.
Russia's Threat to Commercial Satellites
In a statement, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Russia had been attempting to "pursue anti-satellite technology and capability." White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later reiterated her colleague's remark, saying that the Biden administration would "pursue all means to explore, deter, and hold Russia accountable for any such attacks."
The situation comes after a deputy director in Russia's Foreign Ministry warned that any satellites that are used to help Ukraine would be the target for a "retaliatory strike." Konstantin Vorontsov, speaking in a meeting of the UN General Assembly's First Committee, said that the Western "quasi-civilian infrastructure" involved in Ukraine's war efforts was an "extremely dangerous trend," as per Yahoo News.
The official noted that according to the Russian government's news agency Tass, the West's actions jeopardized the stability of the civil space activities and numerous socioeconomic processes on the ground. It noted that these determine people's well-being, mainly in developing countries.
However, Vorontsov did not call out any companies by name when he made his remarks, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that his company, SpaceX, had been spending $20 million per month to provide Starlink satellite internet services to Ukraine.
According to the Washington Post, the threat comes after SpaceX was scheduled to launch a much more powerful rocket, known as the Falcon Heavy. It comes amid rising tension between the United States and Russia due to the West's assistance of Ukraine.
Russia-Ukraine War
The launches are seen as a sign of the Pentagon's increasing reliance on the commercial space sector in providing service to Ukraine. The National Defense Strategy also released a statement earlier this week, saying that they would increase collaboration with the private sector in priority areas, especially with the commercial space industry.
Furthermore, such technologies, despite being cheaper, are known to play a broader role in the country's defense and intelligence arsenal, prompting more worries among security officials that they could be threatened.
In a statement, the deputy commander of the US Space Command, Lt. Gen. John Shaw, said during a space conference on Monday that he was certain that his Russian counterpart was not happy with Starlink assisting Ukraine.
Russia's threat comes as it has a significant offensive space capability, being known for launching Sputnik 1 in 1957, which was the first manmade satellite sent into space, and in 1961, putting the first man in outer space.
Vorontsov said that Russia's threats focused on the involvement of components of civilian space infrastructure, including commercial satellites and its allies in armed conflicts. The war between Russia and Ukraine has already resulted in the death of tens of thousands, including civilians, and undermined the post-COVID-19 global economic recovery, Reuters reported.
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