Two Russian spacecraft have intercepted the communications of more than a dozen important European satellites, defence officials have revealed. These interceptions risk compromising sensitive information transmitted by the satellites and also raise the risk that Russia will seek to move, or even crash them.
The spacecraft – known as Luch-1 and Luch-2 – have increasingly shadowed European satellites amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West, particularly since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago. While the satellites in question are mainly used for TV services, they also carry sensitive official information and some military communications.
Orbital data has revealed that Luch-2 has approached 17 European satellites since its launch in March 2023. Both satellites are suspected of « doing sigint [signals intelligence] business », Major General Michael Traut, head of the German military’s space command, told the Financial Times.
Belinda Marchand, chief science officer at US company Slingshot Aerospace, said Luch-2 was currently « in proximity » to Intelsat 39, a key geostationary satellite that serves Europe and Africa.
A senior European intelligence official explained that the spacecraft deliberately position themselves within the narrow data beams transmitted from Earth-based stations to the satellites. Maj Gen Traut warned that this leaves the satellites vulnerable to interference or even destruction if hostile actors capture unencrypted command data.
This revelation comes after German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in September that Intelsat satellites used by German armed forces and other European countries were being shadowed by Russian satellites. Intelsat is a US-Luxembourg firm operating more than 50 satellites used by private companies and government agencies.
« Satellite networks are an Achilles heel of modern societies. Whoever attacks them can paralyse entire nations, » Mr Pistorius warned. « The Russian activities are a fundamental threat to all of us, especially in space. A threat we must no longer ignore. »
He urged NATO allies to consider building similar « offensive capabilities » in orbit, while noting that Germany plans to invest some £31billion in space projects aimed at strengthening military space systems against sabotage.
Meanwhile, in France – Europe’s largest government spender in space – top military space official, Major General Vincent Chusseau, recently warned of intensifying « hostile or unfriendly » activity in space, particularly by Vladimir Putin. He explained that the Ukraine conflict shows « space is now a fully-fledged operational domain, » telling Reuters that there has been a significant spike in hostile activity since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
In 2018, France publicly accused Moscow of attempting to spy on its secret communications by sneaking up on a Franco-Italian military satellite with a prowling spacecraft a year earlier.
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