Russia's Foreign Ministry said the U.S. admission that it has deployed weapons in orbit ignores the catastrophic risks a space conflict could pose to humanity and the long-term stability of space activity. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned such deployments threaten space exploration and key socio-economic systems on Earth. U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink publicly acknowledged "on-orbit space control weapons," the strongest U.S. confirmation to date. Moscow called the admission a distraction, accused the West of hypocrisy over a testing moratorium, and said it will propose U.N. resolutions to ban space-based weapons and increase transparency.
Russia Says U.S. Admission Of Orbital Weapons Threatens Space Stability, Will Push U.N. Action
FILE PHOTO: Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attends a session at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 3, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova/File Photo
MOSCOW, Sept 15 — Russia's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the U.S. admission that Washington has deployed weapons in orbit overlooks the potentially catastrophic consequences of any conflict in space and poses a threat to the long-term stability of space activities.
Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that such deployments endanger future space exploration and create major risks for socioeconomic systems on Earth.
"In pursuit of its narrow self-interests, Washington is ready to completely ignore the catastrophic consequences for humanity of any armed conflict in orbit," Zakharova said in a commentary posted to the Foreign Ministry website.
Zakharova said the presence of U.S. weapons in space "jeopardises prospects for future space exploration" and creates "colossal risks" for numerous socio-economic processes on Earth, on which people's well-being depends.
U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told a conference near Washington, D.C., on Monday that the United States possesses "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action." Analysts said the statement is the strongest public U.S. acknowledgement to date of weapons positioned in orbit amid rising tensions with Russia and China.
Zakharova characterised the U.S. acknowledgement as an attempt to "distract world attention from the U.S.' own aggressive strivings in terms of space," and criticised a proposed moratorium on anti-satellite missile testing promoted by the so-called "collective West" as hypocritical. She argued the moratorium does not address weapons the U.S. already fields nor other anti-satellite systems Washington may be developing.
As a response, Zakharova said Russia will co-author resolutions to present to the U.N. General Assembly next month seeking a ban on deployment of space-based weapons and greater transparency in the use of outer space.
Context: The dispute highlights growing international concern about the weaponisation of space and the potential for conflicts that could disrupt satellites and critical services on Earth.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Rod Nickel)
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