Space becomes a key front in the war as Ukraine builds its own satellites and countermeasures
Ukrainian strikes on Russia's space industry and Russian manoeuvres in orbit show that space is increasingly important in the war. After Starlink restrictions, Kyiv is building its own satellite network and testing countermeasures.
On the early morning of 15 August, Ukrainian strikes hit the Progress Rocket and Space Centre in the Russian city of Samara on the Volga, which makes Russia's Soyuz-2 rockets. Two Flamingo missiles struck two buildings, including a clean room where motherboards for the rockets' launch systems are assembled. The attack highlights how space has become more critical in the Russia-Ukraine war, where drones and battlefield sensors depend on satellites.
Strikes on space facilities
The Samara plant makes rockets that deliver Russia's new Rassvet satellite system, which Moscow is rapidly deploying to replace Elon Musk's Starlink, from which Russia was cut off earlier this year. Ukraine has also hit other Roscosmos sites this year, including the Korolyov complex north of Moscow and a Ukrainian-built radio telescope in Crimea that Russia captured.
Russia has also used Oreshnik ballistic missiles at least three times. The system launches into near space and releases several independently targetable warheads.
Ukraine's response
Kyiv is trying to reduce its reliance on the US and Starlink, whose service was recently restricted. Last month Ukraine and Denmark's GomSpace announced the launch of Obria Nano, a test satellite for a future independent communications network that reportedly envisages about 245 satellites. Ukraine has also carried out at least three tests of systems designed to intercept targets in near space.
Fedir Venislavskyi, head of the state security subcommittee of Ukraine's parliamentary defence committee, said producing these systems is a priority, but that funding will be a significant issue given the demands of the war.
Tension in orbit
Experts say space treaties are outdated and hard to enforce. In September, US air force secretary Troy Meink admitted for the first time that the US had deployed on-orbit space control weapons. A few weeks later, the Russian satellite Kosmos 2612 manoeuvred aggressively towards a radar satellite operated by Finnish company Iceye, which provides terrain imaging to the Ukrainian military. Russia has also used signal jamming, laser-dazzling of satellites and inspector spy satellites.
