FT: Russia intercepted data from 12 European space satellites
Russian spacecraft have intercepted communications from 12 key European satellites, raising serious concerns about the security of civilian and government space infrastructure, according to the British publication The Financial Times. The publication notes that this previously unreported interception of communications could not only compromise sensitive information transmitted by the satellites but also allow Moscow to manipulate their trajectories or even disable them.
For several years, military and civilian space authorities in Western countries have been monitoring the activities of two Russian satellites, Luch-1 and Luch-2, which have repeatedly performed suspicious maneuvers in orbit.
– claims FT.
It is also stressed that both devices allegedly made risky approaches to some of the most important geostationary satellites that operate high above the Earth and serve the continent, including the UK, as well as much of Africa and the Middle East.
According to the publication, the European satellites that the Luch-1 and Luch-2 satellites approached are used primarily for civilian purposes, but also transmit confidential government and some military information.
A European intelligence official stated that Luch-1 and Luch-2 are unlikely to have the capability to jam or destroy satellites on their own. However, they likely provided Russia with a large amount of data on how to disrupt such systems both from the ground and from orbit.
- emphasized in the material.
It should be added that Moscow did not comment on the information released by the British publication.
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