Soon Russian nuclear weapons in space ? Moscow's capabilities worry the United States

Selon les États-Unis, la Russie cherche à développer une arme nucléaire spatiale. ILLUSTRATION MAXPPP – MIKHAIL METZEL

Les Etats-Unis ont mis en garde leurs alliés contre les capacités spatiales et nucléaires de la Russie.

The United States has shared new information with Congress and its European allies regarding Russia's nuclear capabilities, which could pose an international threat, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday, February 14.

"Serious threat to national security"

These new capabilities, linked to Russia's tests to develop a space weapon, do not constitute an urgent threat to the United States, the source said. The information was disclosed after the chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, Republican Mike Turner, issued an unusual and cryptic statement on Wednesday warning of a “serious security threat.” national".

Sources later indicated that this warning concerned Russia's satellite space capabilities. One of the sources said the issue was serious, but not related to active capacity nor should it cause panic .

"I call on President Biden to declassify all information related to this threat so that Congress, the Administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions needed to respond to this threat' ;quot;, Mike Turner said in his statement, without providing further details.

The weapon is not in orbit

The New York Times earlier reported that the new intelligence was linked to Russia's tests to develop an anti-satellite nuclear weapon in space. ABC News, for its part, reported that the intelligence related to such a capability.

Current and former officials have stated that the nuclear weapon is not in orbit. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, told reporters that there was no reason for public concern. "We have the situation in hand. We are working on it and there is no cause for alarm, he said.