What is a 'counter space weapon' US officials believe has been launched by Russia and what could it be used for?

The claim around the Russian weapon was made at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council

Russia launched a “counter space weapon” into low Earth orbit last week that has the capability to attack other satellites, the United States has warned.

US ambassador Robert Wood told a meeting of the United Nations Security Council the launch was “troubling”, saying it had been gone into the same orbit as a US government satellite.

The West has been increasingly worried that Moscow is developing more space weapons which could attack and wipe out commercial and government satellites – as well as nuclear counter space weapons.

Russian president Vladimir Putin listens to speaker of the State Duma at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Picture: Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

However, Russia has also accused the US of militarising space. Earlier this week, Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed the US was seeking to turn space into an "arena for military confrontation".

“On May 16, Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that the United States assesses is likely a counterspace weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit,” Mr Wood said, speaking before a vote on a UN Security Council resolution drafted by Russia on outer space security.

“Russia deployed this new counterspace weapon into the same orbit as a US government satellite.”

Moscow has launched similar counter space weapons before – the last time being in 2022. Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder said the Pentagon believed the Russian satellite was “presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit”.

Ambassador Robert Wood speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting. Picture: Getty Images

Counter space integrates offensive and defensive operations to attain and maintain the control and protection in and through space.

US Space Command said the satellite – Cosmos 2576 – was launched on May 16 from Russia's Plesetsk cosmodrome, about 497 miles north of Moscow.

Russia's Roscosmos state space agency said the launch was “in the interests of the defence ministry of the Russian Federation” and that its launch vehicle Soyuz-2.1b was used. It gave a launch date of May 17, a day later than the US, but that could be related to time differences between the countries.

Official documents also showed the re-entry of a Russian space launch booster off the coast of Baja California, Mexico.

Get a daily digest of news from around the globe with The World Explained newsletter

“Russia deployed this new counter space weapon into the same orbit as a US government satellite,” said General Ryder. “And so assessments further indicate characteristics resembling previously deployed counter space payloads, from 2019 and 2022.

“We have a responsibility to be ready to protect and defend, the domain, the space domain, and ensure continuous and uninterrupted support to the Joint and Combined Force.”

Last month, a security Council resolution put forward by the US and Japan to call for UN member states to agree not to develop space-based nuclear weapons was vetoed by Russia.

The US has previously claimed Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device. “We have heard President [Vladimir] Putin say publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space,” said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan at the time. “If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution.”