The United States on Thursday warned Russia against deploying a nuclear-capable anti-satellite weapon in space, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The warning came after US intelligence officials reportedly concluded that Russia is developing such a weapon, which could pose a serious threat to US national security.
The weapon, which is said to be in the early stages of development, could be used to target and destroy US satellites in orbit. This would disrupt a wide range of critical services, including GPS navigation, communications, and weather forecasting.
The US has no known defense against this type of weapon, and its deployment would be a major escalation in the ongoing tensions between the US and Russia.
In response to the US warning, Russia denied that it is developing such a weapon and accused the US of “fabricating malicious disinformation” in order to justify increased military spending.
The US has been working to build international support for its position, and has reportedly urged other countries to condemn Russia’s actions.
The deployment of a nuclear weapon in space would be a violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit.
