The U.S. informed its NATO and Asian allies that Russia could deploy a nuclear weapon into space this year after details of American intelligence assessments of its ambitions circulated last week, according to The New York Times.
U.S. intelligence agencies also told allies Moscow could also send a harmless “dummy” warhead into space that would likely leave questions about Russia’s capabilities, the Times reported Wednesday.
American officials are reportedly divided in their predictions about Russia’s space ambitions. Officials pointed to Russia’s series of satellite launches in early 2022 and how American intelligence officials found out Russia was developing a new space-based weapon.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned the U.S.’s Chinese and Indian counterparts on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference last weekend that a nuclear detonation in space would knock out American satellites, along with those of Beijing and New Delhi, the Times reported Saturday.
Neither the White House nor the State Department immediately responded to The Hill’s request for comment.
Concerns over Moscow’s possible nuclear plans were brought to the forefront of Capitol Hill last week following a cryptic warning from House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio).
Turner called on President Biden to declassify information on a “serious national security threat,” prompting White House national security communications adviser John Kirby to later tell reporters the possible weapon is “related to an anti-satellite capability that Russia is developing.” The White House has kept its cards close to its chest on additional details on the matter.
Putin on Tuesday denied the claims about his nuclear ambitions, calling the swirling reports “commotion stirred by the West.”
“Our position is clear and transparent: We have always strongly opposed, and continue to oppose, the deployment of nuclear weapons in outer space,” Putin said in a Tuesday meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, per the Kremlin. “On the contrary, we urge the involved parties to uphold all agreements in this sphere and have proposed expanding this collaborative effort several times.”
Shoigu maintained there were no such plans for a space-based nuclear weapon and the West “know[s] that we are not doing this.”
“‘Not doing’ meaning that we do not deploy weapons in outer space?” Putin asked, to which Shoigu responded, “Exactly, I am referring to the deployment of nuclear weapons in outer space and the use of any other nuclear weapons systems against satellites or creating debris fields that would hamper the effective operation of satellites.”
Shoigu accused the White House of using the warning to push U.S. lawmakers into securing more funds for Ukraine in its right against Russia.
Funding for Ukraine has been left in limbo in Congress amid opposition from some Republicans, who are demanding significant immigration reforms as a condition for more aid.
The launch of a space nuke this year would be a violation of the Outer Space Treaty, signed by the U.S. in 1967. It is not immediately clear what repercussions Russia could face for violating the treaty.
Susi Snyder, a program coordinator at the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, told The Hill last week the first step would likely be taken at the United Nations Security Council.