The United States on Wednesday claimed that Russia had launched a "weapon" capable of attacking other satellites in space. However, the Kremlin has flatly denied assertions by US officials that Moscow is developing a "space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon." The US Space Command has said that the launch included COSMOS 2576, a type of Russian military "inspector" spacecraft that US officials have long said exhibits reckless space behaviour. The weapon is presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit. “We have observed nominal activity and assess it is likely a counterpace weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit,” a spokesperson for the US Space Command said. Confirming the allegations, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told ABC News, "On May 16, Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that we that we assess is likely a counter space weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit." What does Russia say Russia's defence ministry said the launch had a spacecraft on board, but gave no details what it was for. "I don't think we should respond to any fake news from Washington," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. "The Americans can say whatever they want but our policy does not change from this," said Ryabkov, adding that Moscow had "always consistently opposed the deployment of strike weapons in low-Earth orbit". What experts say COSMOS 2576, as of Tuesday, had not gone near a U.S. satellite, but space analysts observed it to be in the same orbital ring as USA 314, a bus-sized NRO satellite launched in April 2021. Growing tensions between US and Russia Last month, Russia had vetoed a US-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution that called on countries to prevent an arms race in outer space, a move that the United States says suggests Moscow might be "hiding something." "It's a joke of a resolution," Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters ahead of the vote. The vote came after Washington accused Moscow of developing a space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon, an allegation that Russia has denied. Speaking ahead of the vote by the 15-member council, U.S. administration officials declined to share details of intelligence they had to back the allegation. (With inputs from Reuters)
