“Serious threat”: Russia must work on new nuclear capabilities in space. Switzerland is stepping up its prosecution of international crimes

According to media reports, US intelligence agencies have gathered information about Russia’s new nuclear ambitions in space. Several American media, including the New York Times and the ABC and Fox News channels, unanimously reported on Wednesday evening (local time) that these were new findings about Russian nuclear capabilities that target satellites in space and therefore pose a threat to the could represent national and international security.

The New York Times wrote that the US had informed Congress and allies in Europe of Moscow’s plans. Such new Russian nuclear capabilities are still being developed and have not yet been deployed. So there is no acute danger. Fox News reported that using nuclear systems against satellites could potentially eliminate U.S. military communications and intelligence services. There was initially no official confirmation of the reports.

A parliamentarian stirs up wild speculation

Earlier, a member of the US Congress had unusually fueled speculation about a possible threat to the United States. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner released a statement Wednesday saying his committee had “provided information regarding a serious threat to national security” to all members of Congress.

Turner calls on US President Joe Biden to release all information about this threat so that Congress, the administration and allies can openly discuss countermeasures, he wrote. The Republican did not specify what type of threat it was and the cryptic message paved the way for all kinds of speculation. Media reports about Russia followed shortly afterwards.

Turner angered the White House

The statement and therefore Turner’s advances are said to have angered White House officials, the New York Times writes. Among other things, they feared the loss of important sources of information about Russia. Although Turner was a White House ally on Ukraine aid, his comments on Wednesday became the “latest flashpoint in tense relations between the Biden administration and Republicans in Congress,” the newspaper wrote.

Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, only confirmed when asked at a White House press conference – after the release of Turner’s statement and before the release of the media reports – that he had scheduled a briefing of the so-called ‘Gang of Eight’ for Thursday . The “Gang of Eight” includes high-ranking members of Congress from both parties who can be briefed by the president on Secret Service activities and covert operations. Sullivan said he was somewhat surprised that Turner spoke publicly about the issue before the meeting. He did not respond to several questions about what type of threat it was.

Nuclear weapon in space: a potentially dramatic escalation

A 2023 report by a research organization highlighted that Russia was developing weapons that could be used to temporarily or permanently blind – and thus hamper – other satellites. However, the report also noted at the time that Russia had not (yet) deployed its full anti-satellite capabilities. The background to the report was the satellite data collected on Russian troops during the war of aggression against Ukraine: because commercial satellites and spy satellites have collected so much information about Russian troop movements, some experts assumed that Russia could target these satellites at the blind and thus switch out. However, according to the report, this was not the case.

Using a nuclear weapon in space would represent a significant advance in Russian technology and a potentially dramatic escalation, the NYT writes. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which has been signed by more than a hundred countries, bans the use of nuclear weapons in space. However, Russia has already withdrawn from many Cold War arms control treaties. The country sees this as a limitation on its main source of military power.

Attempts at reconciliation from parliament

Several House Democrats, who are aware of this type of intelligence, tried to calm the public furor after Turner’s statement. They emphasized – without going into the content – ​​that it was a serious matter, but certainly not an acute crisis. The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, also assured: “There is no reason for public concern.” Other MPs sharply criticized Turner’s unusual statement and questioned his suitability as head of the intelligence committee. (lacquer/sda/dpa)