US warns of new Russian space weapon

Illustration: BGR

ReutersOn August 14, at the United Nations disarmament conference, Ms. Yleem DS Poblete, US Assistant Secretary of State in charge of the Arms Control and Compliance Division, warned that Russia's pursuit of counter-space capabilities is "worrisome."

In February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a forum in Geneva that preventing an arms race in outer space was a top priority, in line with a draft treaty Russia and China had put forward a decade ago. But in March, Russian President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly unveiled six new offensive weapons systems, including a mobile laser system, Poblete said.

"For the United States, it is further evidence that Russia's actions and words are inconsistent... We are also concerned about the so-called unusual activity of (Russia's) space reconnaissance satellites," Poblete said.

At the conference, Russian representative Alexander Deyneko dismissed Poblete's comments as "baseless". "We see that the US side is raising excessive concerns about Russia. They should actively cooperate to complete the treaty so that it can satisfy 100% of the security interests of the US people," Deyneko said.

China's representative, Ambassador Fu Cong, also commented: "We have always opposed the weaponization of space, the arms race in outer space, or even turning space into a battlefield."