Russia attempts to interfere with the operation of British military satellites every week, both through ground-based jamming and by bringing its own spacecraft close to the UK’s orbital systems.
General Paul Tedman, head of UK Space Command, publicly stated this for the first time.
According to him, Russian satellites “fly very close,” are equipped with special sensors to gather data, and have shown increased activity since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Signal jamming occurs on a weekly basis, and it is part of a deliberate campaign.
Tedman emphasized that Russia and China have tested anti-satellite weapons and are also developing capabilities to place nuclear weapons in space.
The United Kingdom has about six military satellites that provide communication and surveillance. By comparison, the US, China, and Russia each have over a hundred such satellites. Over the past decade, the Russian-Chinese satellite grouping has increased by 70%.
Last month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also stated that Russian satellites are tracking the devices used by the German military.
Currently, there are approximately 45,000 objects in orbit, including 9,000 satellites, and an additional 300 launches are expected this year.
