РУССКИЙ
9:50 07.02.2026 •
European security officials believe two Russian space vehicles have intercepted the communications of at least a dozen key satellites over the continent, ‘Financial Times’ writes.
Officials believe that the likely interceptions, which have not previously been reported, risk not only compromising sensitive information transmitted by the satellites but could also allow Moscow to manipulate their trajectories or even crash them.
Russian space vehicles have shadowed European satellites more intensively over the past three years, at a time of high tension between the Kremlin and the West. For several years, military and civilian space authorities in the west have been tracking the activities of Luch-1 and Luch-2 — two Russian objects that have carried out repeated suspicious manoeuvres in orbit.Both vehicles have made risky close approaches to some of Europe’s most important geostationary satellites, which operate high above the Earth and service the continent, including the UK, as well as large parts of Africa and the Middle East.
According to orbital data and ground-based telescopic observations, they have lingered nearby for weeks at a time, particularly over the past three years. Since its launch in 2023, Luch-2 has approached 17 European satellites.
Both satellites are suspected of “doing sigint [signals intelligence] business”, Major General Michael Traut, head of the German military’s space command, told the Financial Times, referring to the satellites’ practice of staying close to western communications satellites. A senior European intelligence official said the Luch vehicles were almost certainly intended to position themselves within the narrow cone of data beams transmitted from Earth-based stations to the satellites.
The official expressed concern that sensitive information — notably command data for European satellites — is unencrypted, because many were launched years ago without advanced onboard computers or encryption capabilities.
While China and the US have developed similar technologies, Russia has one of the most advanced space-spying programmes and has been more aggressive in its use of the vehicles to stalk satellites.
“Satellite networks are an Achilles heel of modern societies. Whoever attacks them can paralyse entire nations,” German defence minister Boris Pistorius said in a speech last September.
The European satellites approached by Luch 1 and 2 are primarily used for civilian purposes, such as satellite television, but also carry sensitive government and some military communications.
Analysts say that with such information, Russia could mimic ground operators, beaming false commands to satellites to manipulate their thrusters used for minor orbital adjustments.
Those thrusters could also be used to knock satellites out of alignment or even cause them to crash back to Earth or drift into space.
Intelligence gathered by Luch 1 and 2 could also help Russia co-ordinate less overt attacks on western interests. Monitoring other satellites can reveal who is using them and where — information that could later be exploited for targeted ground-based jamming or hacking operations.
The manoeuvres in space come as Russia steps up its “hybrid warfare” in Europe, including sabotage operations such as the severing of subsea internet and power cables.
…And so begins the latest hysteria in Europe. They're now whipping up passions over the claim that "Russia has supposedly transferred its hybrid warfare to space."
Well, let them tremble! Whether what the ‘Financial Times’ reported is true or not, the topic itself is once again convincing the Western public of Moscow's omnipotence!
It's all the more surprising that the West continues to provoke Russia. Estonia just seized another tanker, which they claim belongs to Russia's “shadow fleet”. Pure piracy and robbery.
Incidentally, the term “shadow fleet” as used by Western propagandists has a very simple explanation. They defined the “shadow fleet” as all vessels not insured by British or American companies. For decades, Lloyd's and other similar insurance firms held a monopoly on the marine insurance market. Now Russia has found other insurance companies, and the British have lost a huge amount of money. After all, according to some sources, Russia's “shadow fleet” consists of almost 1500 vessels! That's a multi-billion dollar loss for the British themselves.
So they're furious. And they deserve it!
read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs
