The USA commented on the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation about the destruction of Starlink satellites
This week, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow considers American commercial satellites working in the interests of Ukraine as “legitimate targets.” The Russian diplomat Kostiantyn Vorontsov did not specify which satellite devices he was referring to. However, it is not difficult to guess that the occupiers consider the satellites of SpaceX, Maxar and other North American companies to be “legitimate targets”, which actively help Ukrainians to stay in touch and provide intelligence to the armed forces.
Details
The representative of the White House, John Kirby, noted that Russia will receive an adequate response to any attack on infrastructure belonging to the United States, including satellites. What actions the US will take in this case, the American official did not specify. According to Kirby, official Moscow does not give up hope of mastering modern anti-satellite technologies.
The Ukrainian army actively uses Starlink satellite communication at the front. According to Elon Musk’s statement, Starlink is currently the only satellite communication system used in the Russian-Ukrainian war. In addition, the Armed Forces use ICEYE satellites to collect intelligence. The company Maxar Technologies provides the General Staff of the Armed Forces with satellite photos taken on the territory of Ukraine.
Last fall, the Russian Aerospace Forces tested weapons against satellites in space. Debris formed after the destruction of the satellite apparatus created risks for the ISS.
