Intelligence services of two NATO member countries have announced that Russia is working on a new anti-satellite weapon system aimed at completely crippling Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network. Secret intelligence reports reviewed by the Associated Press prove that Moscow is focusing on technology that will create a wide-ranging “field effect” in low Earth orbit, beyond traditional methods.
Russia could cripple the Starlink network
This new concept operates on a different principle than missile systems used to destroy a single satellite. Russia is filling the orbital layers where Starlink satellites are located with hundreds of thousands of millimeter-sized, high-density particles. This particle cloud makes the area at certain altitudes physically impassable and unusable. The system directly threatens not only the Starlink network but also all civilian and military spacecraft operating in the same orbit.
Intelligence data indicates that these high-density particles will spread into space via small groups of satellites. Current ground-based radar systems or space tracking stations are not capable of detecting these millimeter-scale objects.
This situation causes the particles to act like invisible mines in orbit. Russia’s move is fundamentally driven by its military operations and communication infrastructure in Ukraine. Starlink, vital for the Ukrainian army, is described by Moscow as the most critical element enabling Western military support to reach the field.
Russian officials have previously stated that they consider commercial satellite networks supporting Ukraine’s military activities as legitimate military targets. The Kremlin has even already deployed S-500 missile systems capable of striking low-orbit targets for this purpose.
This “particle weapon” project developed by Russia has also sparked a major security debate among experts. Analysts emphasize that such a system could spiral out of control and lead to a chain reaction of catastrophic debris. These small particles released into orbit risk destroying not only Western systems but also the space assets of Russia and China.
