US official: Russia's stalker satellite sure looks like an orbital weapon

A senior US official described the recent maneuvers of Kosmos 2612, a Russian military spacecraft, as resembling an orbital weapon. The craft moved within 340 miles, or 550 kilometers, of a US-registered commercial satellite. This assessment came moments after Konstantin Vorontsov, deputy head of Russia's delegation to the United Nations, addressed the UN General Assembly's First Committee. Vorontsov asserted that there is no reason for concern regarding the spacecraft's proximity to the commercial asset. The US official highlighted the specific distance between the two objects to underscore the nature of the Russian maneuver. This diplomatic exchange occurred several days after Kosmos 2612 approached the commercial satellite, which is part of a network assisting Ukraine in its conflict with Russian military forces. Four years prior, Vorontsov had publicly targeted commercial satellite networks that support Ukraine's fight against Russian invading forces. The current diplomatic tension arises from the contrast between Vorontsov's past rhetoric targeting these networks and his recent assurance of safety during the close approach. The US official's characterization of the event as a potential weapon test stands in direct opposition to the Russian diplomat's dismissal of the incident.