NATO is concerned that Russia could soon deploy nuclear weapons in space, the alliance's Secretary General Mark Rutte told the German newspaper "Welt", BTA reports.
NATO has information that Russia is considering deploying nuclear weapons in space, Rutte said in an article in the newspaper today, quoted by DPA. He described Moscow's current capabilities in space as outdated and incomparable to those of the West.
Therefore, the development of nuclear weapons in space could allow Russia to improve its capabilities, which is deeply worrying, he added.
These so-called anti-satellite weapons are not aimed at the Earth, but at satellites. The destruction of satellites could cause chaos on Earth, as many systems on the planet rely on satellites for their functioning, DPA notes.
The NATO Secretary General warned against violating the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which stipulates the peaceful use of resources in space. The treaty has been ratified by most countries, including Russia and the United States.
Rutte said that in recent years, competition in outer space has become fierce and much more intense, as more and more countries have a presence there and the environment is now more dangerous and unpredictable.
This does not only apply to the commercial sphere, but also to defense and therefore to overall security, he said.
According to the newspaper, in 2021 NATO has decided to extend the collective defense clause in Article 5 to attacks in or from outer space. Article 5 states that an armed attack against one or more Allies is considered an attack against them all.
This collective defense clause has only been invoked once in NATO's history - in support of the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, DPA recalls.