European Officials Warn of Russian Surveillance of EU Satellites

By Staff, Agencies

European security officials have raised concerns that Russian satellites are closely monitoring key European space assets, heightening fears of espionage and potential interference in orbit.

According to officials, the activity has been primarily carried out by Russia’s Luch-1 and Luch-2 relay satellites, which have conducted close-range maneuvers near geostationary satellites serving Europe, the UK, and parts of Africa and the Middle East.

Orbital tracking data indicates that since its launch in 2023, Luch-2 alone has approached at least 17 European satellites, in some cases remaining nearby for weeks.

“These satellites are suspected of conducting signals intelligence operations,” said Major General Michael Traut, head of Germany’s military space command, speaking to the Financial Times.

A senior European intelligence official explained that the Russian satellites may be positioning themselves within transmission paths between ground stations and satellites to intercept sensitive signals, including command data.

Officials warn that many older European satellites lack modern encryption, making them vulnerable to interception.

Recorded command signals could potentially be exploited to disrupt operations, alter satellite trajectories, or trigger system failures.

Traut highlighted the risk to the “command link,” the vital channel connecting satellites to their ground controllers.

Analysts caution that compromising this link could allow hostile actors to issue false commands or force satellites to malfunction or deorbit.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has previously described satellite networks as a critical weakness for modern societies, warning that attacks on space infrastructure could paralyze entire nations.

While the Luch satellites are not believed to have direct jamming capabilities, EU officials say they may be collecting large volumes of data for possible future use in ground-based or orbital disruption efforts.