Russia threatens to target US, allies' commercial satellites if used in Ukraine conflict

Russia has warned the US and its allies that their commercial satellites can become legitimate targets if they are used against Russia in the Ukraine war.  According to a report by DW, Konstantin Vorontsov, deputy director of the foreign ministry's department for non-proliferation and arms control told the United Nations, "we are talking about the involvement of components of civilian space infrastructure, including commercial, by the United States and its allies in armed conflicts. (These) Quasi-civilian infrastructure may become a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike." Commercial satellites of the West, especially of the US have been helping Ukraine by providing Kyiv with information about the damage to Russian air bases and troop movements. 

Musk says it can no longer pay for critical satellite services in Ukraine

Earlier this month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently got into controversy for saying that the Pentagon was not paying his company SpaceX the money that is apparently owed to it. SpaceX has been providing its Starlink internet services to Ukraine since the war began, by stationing its satellites above Ukraine. According to a report by Axios, Musk has admitted that Starlink satellites have granted a "major battlefield advantage" to Ukraine by providing Ukrainian forces with nearly real-time information about the tactical moves of Russian forces. This information is sent to Ukrainian command and control centers, on the basis of which counter-attacks are developed. 

US has been providing Ukraine with intelligence using satellite imagery 

Russian foreign ministry official said that the use of commercial space infrastructure by the US and its allies, for military purposes, sets a dangerous precedent. "These States do not realise that such actions in fact constitute indirect participation in military conflicts," added Vorontsov. This is not the first time that the deputy director of the foreign ministry's department for non-proliferation and arms control raised concerns about the use of civilian commercial satellites for military purposes. Back in September, during a session of the UN working group, Vorontsov raised his concern about the policies aimed at the placement of weapons in outer space for military purposes by the group of UN Member-States in order to ensure their superiority and supremacy. The Ukraine war has witnessed the weaponization of commercial satellites, energy, banks, and finance. As the West is supplying Ukraine with real-time intelligence, using satellite imagery and HUMINT, Russia is attempting to defend the grounds it has gained.