Russian military satellites have approached the ICEYE satellites used by Ukraine.

The Russian constellation of military satellites from the Kosmos series conducted a series of orbital maneuvers, after which the satellites were aligned with the Finnish ICEYE radar observation satellites, which are used by Ukraine to obtain intelligence data. This was reported by specialized foreign sources and space monitoring services.

The satellites in question are serial numbers "Cosmos-2609" through "Cosmos-2614," launched in the spring. According to observers, the Russian satellites changed their orbital parameters, including altitude and inclination, after which their trajectories began to align with the orbital plane of the ICEYE spacecraft.



ICEYE operates a commercial constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Earth observation satellites. These satellites are capable of capturing high-resolution images of the Earth's surface, regardless of weather conditions, cloud cover, or time of day.

Following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, Kyiv gained access to data from the ICEYE group, as well as the ability to use individual devices to obtain information on the battlefield. Satellite images from this system are used to monitor movements. the technique, infrastructure facilities and other potentially important targets.

The maneuvers of the Russian satellites have drawn increased attention from space security experts. They assess that the very fact that military satellites entered a close orbital configuration with satellites providing intelligence support to Ukraine demonstrates Russia's ability to quickly reposition its space assets.


Experts note that such actions could be seen as a demonstration of the ability to track and potentially interfere with the space assets of NATO countries and their allies. Further escalation could entail various scenarios, ranging from electronic interference and disruption of communications systems to the use of specialized spacecraft inspection equipment.

Experts point out, however, that directly destroying satellites in orbit remains an extremely complex task. Creating a large-scale countermeasure system capable of simultaneously neutralizing a large number of satellites would require significant resources and the deployment of an entire constellation of interceptors.

At the same time, another scenario is possible, in which cheaper and more asymmetric solutions are used to influence enemy space systems – for example, electronic countermeasures or other technologies that do not require the creation of thousands of specialized satellites.