Russia is stalking satellites used by NATO members

Germany’s Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, has warned that Russia’s spy satellites are stalking commercial satellites used by the militaries of NATO members.

The warning raises the spectre of a new conflict frontier in space. The provocative manoeuvres could give a hostile state the ability to jam, manipulate, or even destroy critical infrastructure from orbit.

Speaking at a space conference in Berlin on Thursday, Pistorius shared concerns about two of Russia’s Luch/Olymp satellites that have been observed operating in close proximity to Intelsat satellites.

Intelsat, a US-Luxembourg based operator, runs a fleet of over 50 satellites that provide communication services to government agencies – including the militaries of Germany and other NATO members – as well as private firms.

The two Russian satellites in question, launched in 2014 and 2023, have a history of what experts describe as suspicious behaviour. They have long been accused of “loitering” and “eavesdropping” by moving unusually close to other nations’ assets in geostationary orbit, a region where satellites are expected to remain in a fixed position for years.

“Russia and China have expanded their capabilities for warfare in space rapidly over the past years,” Pistorius said. “They can disrupt satellite operations, blind satellites, manipulate, or kinetically destroy them.”

The minister confirmed that Germany’s military has already been the target of jamming attacks. His comments were punctuated by a reminder of the surveillance capabilities of foreign powers. As he was speaking, he cautioned delegates: “39 Chinese and Russian reconnaissance satellites are flying over us… so be careful what you say.”

The warning from orbit about threats to satellites is set against a backdrop of escalating tensions closer to home between NATO members and Russia. It comes amid speculation that Russia may be involved in the drone disruptions that have plagued several Danish airports this week.

The incident follows a tense encounter last week when NATO jets were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft that had violated Estonian airspace. And, in a more routine – but still notable event – US fighter jets were dispatched yesterday to intercept two Russian Tu-95 long-range bombers and two Su-35 fighters flying within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone.

An increased tempo of reckless actions by Russia towards NATO countries have sparked concerns of a full-scale conflict. NATO has warned it has the right to down any Russian aircraft that enters its territory. Russian Ambassador to France, Alexey Meshkov, said in an interview with the RTL news channel today that such an action would amount to war.

In response to the growing threat from nations like Russia and China to assets like satellites used by NATO members, Pistorius used the conference to announce a commitment to bolstering Germany’s space defences. He unveiled a €35 billion (£30 billion) investment in the nation’s space programmes over the next five years.

Pistorius argued that it was now essential for Germany to hold serious talks on developing its own offensive capabilities in space, framing it as a necessary deterrent against hostile actions.

Satellites have increasingly become targets during conflicts. Amid its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been accused of targeting commercial satellites with malware and has stated that their use by Ukrainian forces “constitutes indirect participation” and threatened attacks on Western satellites.

This precedent makes the close shadowing of satellites used by NATO members like Germany particularly ominous.

(Image credit: NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license)

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Tags: connectivity, defence, eu, europe, germany, government, military, nato, networks, russia, satellites, space, telecoms