The maneuvers of Russia’s Cosmos 2612 military satellite near an American reconnaissance spacecraft have raised concerns in the United States. According to an opinion article published by The Hill, the American satellite is equipped with synthetic aperture radar and provides intelligence to Ukraine.

Commercial space-tracking data reportedly shows that six Russian satellites launched in April carried out fuel-intensive maneuvers to approach American reconnaissance satellites. The article’s author argues that these movements could position Russia to launch a surprise attack against US space assets.

General Stephen Whiting, commander of US Space Command, previously warned that Russia had deployed a space weapon into orbits from which it could reach critical American national security satellites.

The Hill article warns that destroying even a single satellite could trigger a chain reaction of collisions known as Kessler syndrome. The resulting debris could damage numerous other spacecraft and threaten humanity’s ability to operate safely in space for generations.

The author considers the US military’s dependence on orbital infrastructure a particularly serious vulnerability. Satellites support military communications, intelligence gathering and precision weapons guidance, including capabilities used by F-35 fighter jets.

The article suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin might regard even the mutual destruction of satellites as advantageous because the US military relies more heavily on space-based systems than Russia does.

As an example of the vulnerability of orbital infrastructure, the author recalls Russia’s 2021 anti-satellite weapons test, which generated more than 1,500 pieces of debris and forced astronauts aboard the International Space Station to take emergency safety precautions.

The author urges Washington to publicly warn Moscow that attacks on American satellites, including commercial spacecraft supporting Ukraine, would be treated as attacks on US interests and would carry consequences.

According to The Hill’s assessment, the next war could begin not with missiles crossing national borders, but with hostile encounters between satellites in orbit.