I hope your Memorial Day weekend brought you pleasant distractions from what seems to me to be a very dangerous world.
An important item was buried in the Memorial Day newsflow. It was obscured by the Hormuz Hope stock market and discussions about the oil price and gasoline price. It was drowned out by political announcements.
The mainstream media blizzard overwhelmed an ominous snippet of news. That news triggers my question today: Are we about to see kinetic warfare between and among satellites? Specifically, between satellites deployed by Russia and Ukraine? And by extension among and between satellites belonging to any antagonists going forward?
The news items in the reading list describe how and when and where Russia repositioned satellites to be proximal to a key satellite used by Ukraine. There are estimates of possible weapon payload carrying capability, and there are details about the maneuverability of satellites into configurations that seem to have only one purpose: kinetic military action to disable other satellites.
I have no idea how this development will play out on the upper atmospheric world stage. We often take satellites and satellite-based information usage for granted in our daily lives. We are completely dependent on our national government (the Trump administration) to protect us, our country, and our American interests worldwide when it comes to the benefits of the satellite-based information system we use.
On a related note, given that Putin’s Russia is a proven supporter of Iran, this apparent satellite threat originating with Russia seems like an ominous development to me with regard to the Iran War. I don’t believe anything the IRGC says about Iran’s intentions. I continue to maintain the position that the Iran War is one of existential risk.
Please spend a few minutes exploring the reading list.
Further Reading
“Orbital Interception: Russian Satellites Approach ICEYE-X36” | Zamin,
https://zamin.uz/en/technology/203012-orbital-interception-russian-satellites-approach-iceye-x36.html“Is Russia Preparing for an Expanded Ukraine War?” | Weapons and Strategy,
https://open.substack.com/pub/weapons/p/is-russia-preparing-for-an-expanded“Is Russia Maneuvering to Threaten an ICEYE Satellite? | Integrity ISR,
https://integrityisr.com/es/is-russia-maneuvering-to-threaten-an-iceye-satellite/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email“Russia hits Ukraine with Oreshnik missile in one of war’s biggest attacks on Kyiv” | Reuters,
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-capital-kyiv-hit-by-massive-missile-drone-attack-2026-05-23/“Russia Threatens Commercial Satellites Providing Support to Ukraine” | Heritage Foundation,
https://www.heritage.org/europe/report/russia-threatens-commercial-satellites-providing-support-ukraine“Russia Threatens Space Strikes On Western Satellites At UN Peace Forum” | Forbes,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinholdenplatt/2024/09/25/russia-threatens-space-strikes-on-western-satellites-at-un-peace-forum/“Russia threatens to shoot down Western commercial satellites used to help Ukraine” | Ukrainski Pravda,
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/10/27/7373721/“What is the Oreshnik missile that Russia has fired at Ukraine?” | Reuters,
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/what-is-oreshnik-missile-that-russia-has-fired-ukraine-2026-01-09/
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