Satellite manoeuvre highlights growing security risks in space

A Russian military satellite closed to within a few hundred metres of a Finnish radar satellite that supplies imagery to Ukraine. Kosmos 2612 repeatedly approached Iceye-X36, in a manoeuvre described as an “orbit stalker”. At such close range, radar data sometimes registered the spacecraft as a single object.

The incident, reported on November 13, 2026, has drawn the attention of space-security experts because satellites now support military operations on the ground. Iceye-X36 provides imagery to Ukraine, making its proximity to a Russian military satellite especially sensitive. Clémence Poirier, a cyber defence researcher at ETH Zurich’s Center for Security Studies, called the encounter “worrying”.

The manoeuvre’s purpose remains uncertain. Poirier said Russia may have sought intelligence on the satellite’s technology, tried to eavesdrop or jam its signals, or aimed to disrupt its connection with Earth. The close approach also highlights how much military activity now depends on spacecraft operating in crowded orbits.

A close approach can expose a satellite to several forms of interference. Poirier said Russia may have been trying to learn how Iceye-X36 works, listen to its communications, jam signals or disrupt the link between the spacecraft and ground stations. She also said the manoeuvre could have been intended to interfere temporarily with the satellite’s operations.

That range of possibilities makes proximity itself a security concern. A satellite does not need to be struck to face a threat: getting close may give another spacecraft opportunities to observe or interfere with it. The encounter took place as countries build capabilities designed to counter hostile activity in orbit.

Poirier said France plans to deploy small patrol satellites around larger military satellites. The US recently acknowledged that it had weapons in orbit, she said, and Britain followed with an admission of its own. The approaches reflect growing attention to protecting military spacecraft, while also adding to the competition around them.

Satellites have become essential infrastructure for modern warfare. They provide reconnaissance imagery and support communications and navigation, services that are critical to controlling drones. Ukraine relies on both the civilian Starlink service and Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade counterpart.

The consequences of losing access became clear when Starshield temporarily reduced connection speeds for Ukrainian forces from mid-October until recently. Fast interception and attack drones lost connectivity during the restrictions. The service has since been restored. The episode showed how a change to a satellite network can affect operations far below it.

The reliance extends beyond the battlefield. At the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, an attack on US company Viasat’s satellite network caused 30,000 modems across Europe to fail. Wind turbines in Germany could no longer be controlled remotely. Satellite communications and data links therefore matter to both military operations and civilian infrastructure, widening the potential consequences of disruption.

Anti-satellite weapons can threaten more than their intended target. Russia, China, the United States and India have all demonstrated missiles that destroy satellites in orbit. Those tests generated large quantities of space debris, which can endanger other spacecraft. A significant share of debris now circling Earth is linked to China’s 2007 anti-satellite test and the 2009 collision of a deactivated Russian satellite with a US communications satellite.

The risks are compounded by rapid growth in the number of satellites and debris, alongside the lack of clear rules for handling potential collisions. Communication between satellite operators is difficult, according to the ETH Zurich researcher featured in Swissinfo’s podcast on space security. With satellites supporting communications, navigation and imagery, their vulnerability has consequences for people and systems on Earth.

For Switzerland, Poirier’s warning brings the issue into the orbit of a research community at ETH Zurich. The close encounter over Ukraine’s supply of imagery shows why monitoring satellite manoeuvres and the security of space-based services matter well beyond the spacecraft involved.