US military currently lacks the means to defend its satellites against this new threat. This underscores the urgency for the US to address the issue and develop effective strategies to safeguard its space assets.

Washington: The White House has expressed concern over Russia’s development of a capability to target satellites in space. This pursuit by Moscow has been deemed troubling by the US government, which is closely monitoring the situation. Reports suggest that Russia is working on a space-based nuclear weapon designed to disable or destroy satellites. John Kirby, the White House National Security Communications Advisor, while addressing the issue during a press briefing confirmed that the threat is related to an anti-satellite capability being developed by Russia. Kirby emphasized the seriousness of the situation and stated that the US military is unable to counter such a weapon and defend its satellites.

While addressing a press briefing on Thursday (local time), John Kirby said, “While I am limited by how much I can share about the specific nature of the threat, I can confirm that it is related to an anti-satellite capability that Russia is developing. I want to be clear about a couple of things right off the bat.”

The New York Times reported that the US military currently lacks the means to defend its satellites against this new threat. This underscores the urgency for the US to address the issue and develop effective strategies to safeguard its space assets.

“First, this is not an active capability that’s been deployed. And though Russia’s pursuit of this particular capability is troubling, there is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety,” Kirby said. “We’re not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or cause physical destruction here on Earth.”

Kirby’s comments came a day after the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Republican Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill when he issued a cryptic statement announcing that the panel had “information concerning a serious national security threat.”