Russian military satellite comes within 1.6 km of ICEYE satellite
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on La Nouvelle Tribune
The Russian military satellite Cosmos 2612 came within 1.6 kilometres of an ICEYE radar satellite, which is used in particular to provide intelligence to Ukraine. CSIS says the manoeuvre may be unprecedented and urges caution over the risk of hostile action, CNN reports.
The Russian military satellite Cosmos 2612 came within 1.6 kilometres of a radar satellite owned by Finnish company ICEYE, according to CNN. The commercial satellite provides services that may meet the national security needs of countries such as Ukraine and supplies intelligence to Ukrainian forces.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US research centre, reported five days earlier that Cosmos 2612 was heading towards the ICEYE spacecraft. Its analysis, based on commercial space-tracking data, describes the approach as “possibly unprecedented” and recommends caution.
The close approach comes after Donald Trump restored Starshield on 16 October, following his dispute with Volodymyr Zelensky, and after US denials that Ukrainian access to Starlink had been restricted and intelligence-sharing halted. The restoration of Starshield was followed on 19 October by Marco Rubio’s denial that intelligence was being shared with Ukraine.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
