“Quasi-civilian infrastructure in Space may become a legitimate target for retaliation”

Deputy Head of the Russian Delegation Mr. Konstantin Vorontsov made a statement at the Thematic Discussion on Outer Space (Disarmament Aspects) in the First Committee of the 77th Session of the UNGA. He said in particular:

The Russian Federation has consistently advocated the preservation of outer space for exclusively peaceful activities of all States on an equitable basis…

For decades, our principled position has been unchanging – the only way to reach this goal is by developing universally recognized legally binding principles and norms of international law that should be comprehensive and aim to prevent an arms race in outer space (PAROS), as provided in the decisions of the 1978 first special session of the United Nations General Assembly on Disarmament.

The ever-growing risks of outer space becoming a launching pad for aggression and war merely confirm the urgent nature of this task. We reiterate our concern about the realisation of the policy by Western countries headed by the United States aimed at placement of weapons in outer space and the use of outer space for military purposes in order to ensure their dominance and supremacy. We note that they are carrying out ambitious programmes to develop weapons systems designed for the threat or use of force in, from or against outer space…

We would like to specifically stress an extremely dangerous trend that goes beyond the harmless use of outer space technologies and has become apparent during the latest developments in Ukraine.

Namely, the use by the United States and its allies of civilian, including commercial, infrastructure elements in outer space for military purposes. Apparently, these States do not realise that such actions in fact constitute indirect participation in military conflicts. Quasi-civilian infrastructure may become a legitimate target for retaliation.

Western actions needlessly put at risk the sustainability of peaceful space activities, as well as numerous social and economic processes on Earth that affect the well-being of people, first of all in developing countries. At the very least, this provocative use of civilian satellites is questionable under the Outer Space Treaty, which only provides for the peaceful use of outer space, and must be strongly condemned by the international community…

We believe that at this stage it is still possible to prevent start of a full-fledged arms race in outer space, the point of no return has not been passed yet...

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs