The map of Russia in space: growing threat against European satellites

European defense officials have raised a concern that goes beyond mere technical issues: strategic control of space. According to reports from Western surveillance agencies, Russian spacecraft have been capturing communication signals from more than a dozen critical satellites orbiting over European territory. These maneuvers, previously kept discreet, reveal a more alarming picture than governments were willing to publicly admit.

Russian Satellites Capture Critical Communications from Europe

What sets these actions apart is their persistent and coordinated nature. The Luch-1 and Luch-2 spacecraft, monitored for years by Western military and civilian space agencies, have executed movements that experts describe as abnormal and deliberate. These approaches to European geostationary satellites are not mere casual encounters but surveillance operations and potential interference.

The risk goes beyond simple data interception. Security sources warn that these activities could allow Russia to alter satellite orbits or, in the worst case, cause collisions and destruction. For infrastructures supporting critical financial, military, and civilian communications, the exponential vulnerability in orbit represents a breaking point in European security.

Luch-1 and Luch-2: Moscow’s Orbital Arsenal

Over the past three years, there has been a notable increase in these space tracking operations. The geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West have crossed terrestrial borders to extend into space. What was once isolated incidents has become a systematic pattern of dangerous approaches to European satellite constellations.

These movements are not impulsive acts but part of a broader space dominance strategy. Russia’s presence in Earth orbit is expanding with each maneuver, redefining power balances on a new frontier. European satellites, essential for the digital economy, trade, and defense, are now in the crosshairs of a competition that does not respect traditional borders.

A Strategy That Exposes European Vulnerabilities

The exposure of these operations by Western authorities responds to an urgent need: recognizing that space security is now a national defense priority. Without adequate orbital protection systems, Europe risks losing strategic capabilities it considers its own.

This situation forces European governments to reflect uncomfortably on their space defenses. The 21st-century space race is not only measured in scientific missions but in who controls the orbits where critical infrastructure rests. As Russia consolidates its position through maneuvers like those of Luch-1 and Luch-2, Europe must urgently define its own space defense strategy.