Germany and the United Kingdom have raised fresh concerns over the growing threat from Russian and Chinese satellites, which have increasingly been detected spying on Western assets in space.
Officials from both countries say Moscow has been stalking, jamming, and interfering with their satellites, posing a serious risk to communications, navigation, and defense operations.
“Russia’s actions, especially in space, pose a fundamental threat to us all. A threat we can no longer ignore,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned at a Berlin space industry conference in September.
According to the RAND Corporation, such attacks on communications and navigation satellites could disrupt satellite imagery, broadband services, and even military and aviation operations.
These warnings come amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its third year. Ukrainian officials claim Moscow is cooperating closely with Beijing, which has allegedly conducted satellite reconnaissance over Ukrainian territory on Russia’s behalf.
Pistorius revealed that two Russian reconnaissance satellites were recently spotted shadowing IntelSat satellites used by the German Armed Forces and its allies.
“Russia and China have rapidly expanded their space warfare capabilities in recent years: They can jam, blind, manipulate, or kinetically destroy satellites,” Pistorius added, announcing billions in new funding for Germany’s space defense. The UK echoed similar fears, with Major General Paul Tedman, head of UK Space Command, warning that Russian satellites “are trying to collect information” and are jamming British assets on a “weekly” basis.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also cautioned about Moscow’s alleged efforts to develop space-based nuclear weapons to destroy satellites.
Although Russian President Vladimir Putin denies such plans, Moscow vetoed a 2024 UN resolution urging countries not to pursue nuclear weapons in space, while China abstained.
Experts say satellite “spying” is inferred by analyzing the position and movement of foreign satellites.
“If a Russian satellite lingers for a long period near a European communications satellite, authorities can infer that it’s there to spy,” said Clayton Swope of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Some Russian satellites in lower orbit have even tested projectiles, suggesting potential offensive capabilities.
“The Russians have a history of having those types of satellites shadowing other satellites in a way that people might think it’s a sleeper cell, waiting to strike at a moment’s notice,” Swope explained. He added that it is often difficult to distinguish between a satellite meant for intelligence gathering and one designed as a weapon.
The threat is not new. The United States and France raised concerns more than a decade ago about Russian satellites spying on their assets.
In 2015, the US accused a Russian military satellite of parking near two IntelSat satellites, while in 2017, Russian satellites approached a French-Italian intelligence satellite shortly after its launch.
Analysts say the recent spike in activity should be viewed within the broader context of Russia’s aggression, including its frequent airspace violations over NATO territory.
Experts also warn that China poses an equal or greater challenge in space. “The much bigger space power is obviously China,” said Juliana Suess of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
Chinese satellites have executed advanced maneuvers at “incredibly high speeds and with precision,” raising alarm in the West. Some have even been equipped with robotic arms capable of moving other satellites out of orbit.
China’s deep pockets and opaque objectives make it harder to assess its true capabilities. “We don’t always know what they’re doing, and they’re doing a lot of different things that leave a lot of people scratching their heads,” Swope noted. In contrast, Russia’s space ambitions are limited by its strained resources amid the Ukraine conflict.
Germany has pledged up to €35 billion ($40.2 billion) over the next five years to strengthen its space programs, with €1.9 billion ($2.2 billion) earmarked for 2025 alone. The UK has also committed to increasing defense spending and testing laser threat detection systems to safeguard its satellites.
However, a Chatham House report warned that Britain’s response may still fall short of the urgency required to meet the growing threat.
France, meanwhile, is developing “bodyguard satellites” to protect its space assets, while NATO has formally recognized space as an operational domain covered by Article 5, meaning an attack on one ally in space could trigger a collective response.
Despite Russia’s aggressive behavior, analysts note that its own systems appear underdeveloped, citing reports of Russian jets in Ukraine using taped-on commercial GPS devices and evidence of Moscow purchasing commercial satellite imagery to compensate for its limitations.
