‘RECKLESS’: NATO CHIEF SLAMS RUSSIAN SATELLITE STRIKE

Tue 16 November 2021:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called Russia’s destruction of a satellite “reckless,” saying it created a debris cloud that was threatening to orbiting space stations.

“This has created a lot of debris, which is now a risk to the International Space Station and also to the Chinese space station — so this was a reckless act by Russia,” Stoltenberg told journalists.

Russia’s defense ministry confirmed destroying one of its satellites during a missile test to improve its defense capabilities, but denied the move was risky.

On Monday, US authorities condemned Moscow for the “irresponsible” test, claiming they had not been warned in advance.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday dismissed US accusations that Moscow blew up one of its own satellites with a missile strike that created a debris cloud threatening the International Space Station.

“To declare that the Russian Federation creates risks for the peaceful use of space is, at the very least, hypocrisy,” Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow, adding that “there are no facts” behind the claims.

France on Tuesday lashed out at “space vandals” who were producing dangerous amounts of debris after Russia admitted to destroying one of its satellites during a missile test.

“Space is a common good belonging to the 7 billion inhabitants of our planet. The space vandals have an overwhelming responsibility for generating debris that pollutes and puts our astronauts and satellites in danger,” Defence Minister Florence Parly wrote on Twitter.

According to NASA, the crew aboard the ISS, which now consists of four Americans, a German, and two Russians, was awoken and had to seek refuge in their docked return ships.

Russia’s strike — the fourth ever to hit a spacecraft from the ground — reignited concerns about a growing arms race in space, encompassing everything from laser weapons to satellites capable of shunting others out of orbit.

It was a source of concern for Stoltenberg since it demonstrated that Moscow was developing weapons capable of attacking crucial infrastructure.

“It demonstrates that Russia is now developing new weapon systems that can shoot down satellites, can destroy important space capabilities for basic infrastructure on Earth like communications, like navigation, or like early warning of missile launches,” he said.

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