Russian satellite moves close to space craft used by Ukraine

A Russian military satellite named Kosmos 2612 has maneuvered within 85 feet of a satellite used to provide intelligence to Ukraine over South America, Ars Technica and the Daily Mail reported. United States space technology company LeoLabs stated that the Russian spacecraft moved into extreme proximity of the Kyiv-linked Iceye X36 satellite. The tracking firm said the Russian satellite made small adjustments over the weekend to maintain a close relative position. [1][2]

The maneuver comes alongside ongoing Russian aerial attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. The Daily Mail, rte.ie, and Al Jazeera reported that Russian strikes have targeted energy, transport, and civilian sites across Ukraine. Strikes overnight killed four people around the country, including three people in the Kyiv region after a production building was hit, according to rte.ie. [1][3][4]

Separate Russian strikes in the Kharkiv region killed six people, including three children, at a park, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Polish military aircraft were scrambled for a second time in response to the Russian attacks on Ukrainian targets, Ukrinform reported. [4][5][6]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently occupies roughly 20 percent of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously raised concerns after NATO partners withheld early-warning satellite intelligence during earlier missile attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. [10][13]