Russia warns US orbital weapons threaten space stability

Investing.com -- Russia's Foreign Ministry criticized the United States on Tuesday after a U.S. military official confirmed the deployment of weapons in orbit, warning that such actions threaten long-term stability of space-based operations.

Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Washington is willing to ignore the severe consequences for humanity that could result from armed conflict in space. She added that the presence of U.S. weapons in orbit creates major risks for space exploration and Earth-based socio-economic processes that affect people's well-being.

U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told a conference near Washington, D.C., on Monday that the United States has "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action." The statement marked the most direct confirmation by a U.S. official of American weapons in space as tensions with Russia and China continue to rise.

Zakharova described the acknowledgement as an attempt to divert attention from U.S. aggressive pursuits in space, including what she called baseless accusations that Moscow is developing anti-satellite weapons.

The spokeswoman also criticized the moratorium on testing anti-satellite missiles promoted by Western nations, calling it hypocritical. She said the moratorium does not affect weapons the U.S. already possesses and does not cover other types of anti-satellite systems Washington is working to develop.

Zakharova announced that Russia will present resolutions to the U.N. General Assembly next month aimed at preventing the deployment of space-based weapons and increasing transparency in space activities.

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