The recent statement by the US Department of Defense alleging that Russia launched a satellite carrying a counterspace weapon is misinformation and Moscow will not respond to it, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, US Defense Department spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that Russia launched last week a satellite carrying a counterspace weapon that is presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit. Ryder claimed that Russia deployed the satellite without communicating this fact to the United States.
"I do not think we should respond to any misinformation from Washington. The Russian space program is developing as planned, launches of spacecraft for various purposes, including devices that solve the problem of strengthening our defense capability, are also not news. Another thing is that we always consistently oppose the deployment of strike weapons in low-Earth orbit," Ryabkov told reporters.
If the United States wanted to ensure the safety of space activities, it should have reconsidered its approach to Russia's space proposals, the senior diplomat added.
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov rejected as fake news the Pentagon’s claim that Russia launched a counter space weapon, noting that Moscow was against placing strike capabilities in near-Earth orbit.
ReplyDelete"I don’t think that we should respond to any fake news injected by Washington," the senior Russian diplomat told reporters, replying to a corresponding question.
"We have always spoken consistently against placing attack weapons in near-Earth orbit. It is not accidental that Russia together with a whole number of other states promotes the initiative of not placing weapons in space first," he added.
Russia continues developing its space program in a planned manner, he pointed out.
"The launch of satellites of various designation, including those that deal with strengthening our defense capability is not news either," Ryabkov said.
"That is why, the Americans can say whatever they like and our policy will not change from that. And if they were really interested in strengthening security, including in space activity, they could reconsider their destructive approach to a series of Russian proposals in this sphere. This primarily applies to our proposal to work out a treaty on terminating an arms race in outer space," the high-ranking Russian diplomat said.