Russian Satellite Near Western Satellite, Specialist Warns

A Russian military satellite, Cosmos 2612, approached a Western commercial satellite last month, according to space analysts. The satellite, operated by Finnish company ICEYE, provides radar imagery to Western governments and militaries, including Ukraine.

Greg Gillinger, a senior space analyst at Integrity ISR, described the incident as resembling an attack rehearsal. He noted the maneuver was the most aggressive Russian posture observed in threatening satellites from another nation.

Russia's defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Moscow has previously warned that Western commercial satellites aiding Ukraine could be legitimate targets for retaliation.

Space analysts reported that Cosmos 2612 positioned itself hundreds of kilometers behind the ICEYE satellite in early October and then rapidly closed the distance, coming within a kilometer of it by mid-October.

Following the encounter, the Russian satellite moved about 400 km away, and two other Russian satellites are now drifting toward the orbital path of another ICEYE satellite, X37. U.S. space-tracking firm COMSPOC noted the two satellites are increasingly positioned to approach X37.

Germany's space commander, Major General Michael Traut, stated that close approaches like Cosmos 2612's could be used for inspection, observation, or interference, depending on a spacecraft's capabilities. He emphasized that the purpose of such maneuvers cannot be determined solely from publicly available data.