NATO intelligence warns Russia may be developing anti-Starlink space weapon

Two NATO intelligence services are reportedly concerned that Russia is developing a new anti-satellite weapon aimed at Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation, designed to disrupt Western space superiority that has supported Ukraine on the battlefield.

The intelligence, seen by The Associated Press (AP), describes a so-called “zone-effect” system intended to flood Starlink orbits with hundreds of thousands of high-density pellets, potentially disabling multiple satellites at once but risking massive collateral damage to other space assets.

Analysts who have not seen the findings expressed skepticism about the feasibility of such a weapon without causing uncontrollable chaos for all nations relying on satellites, including Russia and its ally China. Victoria Samson, a space-security expert at the Secure World Foundation, said: “I wouldn’t put it past some scientists ... to build out something like this because it’s an interesting thought-experiment,” but added, “I would be very surprised, frankly, if they were to do something like that.”

Brig. Gen. Christopher Horner, commander of the Canadian military’s Space Division, warned the threat cannot be dismissed. “If the reporting on the nuclear weapons system is accurate and that they’re willing to develop that ... it wouldn’t strike me as shocking that something just short of that, but equally damaging, is within their wheelhouse of development,” he said. Horner also noted the difficulty of controlling a cloud of pellets, cautioning: “You blow up a box full of BBs ... blanket an entire orbital regime and take out every Starlink satellite and every other satellite that’s in a similar regime. And I think that’s the part that is incredibly troubling.”

The intelligence indicates the pellets would be only millimeters across, potentially evading tracking and complicating attribution for any attack. Clayton Swope, a space-security specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted: “If satellites start winking out with damage, I guess you could put two and two together,” while also warning the debris could damage other orbiting systems, including China’s Tiangong and the International Space Station.

Starlink’s constellation has been critical for Ukraine, providing battlefield communications, weapons targeting, and civilian internet services. Analysts suggest the weapon may serve as a “weapon of fear” rather than an operational tool. Samson added that the drawbacks, including risk to Russia’s own space assets, could deter Moscow from deploying such a system: “They’ve invested a huge amount ... into being a space power. Using such a weapon would effectively cut off space for them as well.”

The findings could not be independently verified, and neither Russia nor the U.S. Space Force responded to requests for comment. The research remains in active development, with the timing of any potential deployment classified.

By Vafa Guliyeva