Concern about Russia wanting to put anti-satellite nuke in space raises key questions
Defense And Security,Russia,Europe,NATO,World,Space,Satellites,Nuclear,Nuclear Weapons
New reporting about intelligence related to Russia wanting to put a nuclear weapon into space, possibly to use against satellites, raises key questions about the country's intentions and the potential ramifications of an orbital detonation.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 -- signed by Russia, the U.S. and numerous other countries -- technically still bans putting any weapons of mass destruction in outer space, including nuclear arms.
One question appears to be what Russia might be considering deploying that falls short of that ban.
At the same time, Russia has broken from other nuclear agreements: Russian President Vladimir Putin said early last year that the country was suspending its participation in the New START treaty, first signed in 2010 and extended in 2021, which implements caps on the number of nuclear weapons deployed by Russia and the U.S. and inspections of nuclear sites.
