Kathrine Frich
The conflict between Russia and the West is no longer limited to land, sea or air.
Increasing attention is now focused on space, where quiet maneuvers are raising alarm among European officials.
Experts warn that what appears invisible to the public could have far-reaching consequences on the ground.
Close encounters
Two Russian satellites have repeatedly maneuvered close to European spacecraft in recent years, prompting concern among Western military and civilian experts, the Financial Times reported.
The satellites, known as “Luch-1” and “Luch-2,” have carried out close approaches to key geostationary satellites serving Europe, the United Kingdom, and parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Since its launch in 2023, “Luch-2” alone has approached 17 European satellites, according to orbital data and ground-based observations.
Experts say such proximity operations are risky and unusual, especially when sustained over weeks.
Suspected surveillance
European authorities suspect the Russian satellites are being used for radio-technical reconnaissance.
“The ‘Luch’ satellites are almost certainly designed to intercept a narrow beam of data transmitted to European satellites from ground stations,” a senior European intelligence official told the Financial Times.
Major General Michael Traut, head of the German armed forces’ space command, said the satellites appear to be monitoring activity rather than conducting routine maneuvers.
Belinda Marchand, a senior scientist at Slingshot Aerospace, said the satellites have been held “close to geostationary satellites, often for months.”
She noted that “Luch-2” is currently positioned near Intelsat 39, a major communications satellite used across Europe, Africa and Asia.
Vulnerable systems
The situation is complicated by the fact that many European satellites were launched years ago and still transmit unencrypted signals.
While most are used for civilian purposes such as satellite television, some also carry government and military data.
According to a European analyst, the “Luch” satellites are not capable of destroying or jamming satellites on their own. However, the data they collect could help Russia learn how to disable such systems indirectly.
Analysts say this knowledge could allow false commands to be sent to satellites, potentially altering their orbits or forcing them out of service.
Surveillance could also help identify users and ground terminals, enabling targeted jamming or hacking.
“Even if they can’t decipher the messages, they can still extract a lot of information,” said Norbert Puzin, a senior orbital data analyst at Aldoria.
Europe responds
European military officials say the threat is taken seriously.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that “Satellite networks are the Achilles heel of modern societies. Anyone who attacks them can paralyze entire countries.”
Germany has begun rolling out a multi-billion-euro satellite program, while the European Space Agency has received 1.2 billion euros for a dual-use security and defense initiative.
For the first time, the agency is formally cooperating with the military.
Sources: Financial Times, Digi24.
