US tells allies Russia may put nuclear weapon in space in 2024, per Bloomberg.
Russia is developing a space-based capability to disable satellites using a nuclear weapon, according to anonymous sources. Such a nuclear warhead in orbit would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which Russia has signed.
This development follows a warning from the House Intelligence Committee chairman last week about a serious, though unspecified, security threat from Russia. President Joe Biden later stated that Russia has been developing an anti-satellite space weapon that does not directly threaten human lives.
The White House declined to comment on this matter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Tuesday during a televised meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that Russia has always been against deploying nuclear weapons in space and is only doing what other countries, including the United States, are doing in space.
This alleged ambition by the Kremlin highlights the growing competition among the US, Russia, and China to develop attack capabilities in space, a new space race that contrasts with the arms control agreements negotiated during the Cold War to prevent the weaponization of space.
The current assessment indicates that Russia does not intend to detonate any orbital weapon. However, there is a risk of accidents, and a nuclear explosion could potentially affect about a third of satellites, causing disruptions that would require error corrections.
As of last April, there were nearly 7,800 operational satellites in Earth's orbit, according to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
Russia has used nuclear threats as its forces have struggled since invading Ukraine two years ago. Putin suspended Russia's observance of the New START treaty in 2023, the last agreement limiting the size of US and Russian nuclear arsenals.
The US and its allies are working to dissuade Russia from deploying this capability, especially through engagement via China and India, which are seen as having more influence in Moscow, according to the sources. Senior intelligence and administration officials reportedly attempted to reach out to Moscow to convince it to stop the project weeks before it became public.
