Satellites Used Against Russia in Ukraine May Become Legitimate Targets

05:48 GMT, 30 November 2022

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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Quasi-civilian satellites used by Western countries to support the Ukrainian military throughout the conflict may become legitimate targets for Russia, Vladimir Ermakov, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's non-proliferation and arms control department, has told Sputnik.

Sputnik

"Western countries are actively using the potential of civilian space infrastructure, first of all, a group of low-orbiting satellites, to support operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. These are used to exclusively perform combat tasks to reveal locations, routes of movement and actions of Russian troops, to control combat aerial vehicles, as well as to target high-precision munitions from space," Ermakov said.

He added that such a provocative use of "civilian satellites at the very least raises questions in the context of the Outer Space Treaty" and "requires the most serious condemnation by the world community."

"We confirm that such quasi-civilian infrastructure, should it be used in military action against Russia, may quite logically become a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike," Ermakov said.

Given the global coverage of the Earth by civilian spacecraft, "the Pentagon is testing the concept of a prospective command and control system for troops anywhere in the world, and the vast majority of countries have no effective means of countering it," the director said.

"We advocate the prevention of the use of civilian commercial satellites to achieve combat tasks. We urge all countries interested in the proper use of space technologies to make joint efforts in the interests of the exploration of near-Earth space for purely peaceful purposes," the diplomat noted.

Image of the Nudol anti-satellite missile system posted on a Russian website.

"The development of legally binding norms of international law that would be comprehensive in nature and aimed at the prevention of an arms race in outer space" is the only way to ensure that outer space is used only for peaceful purposes, Ermakov said.