Image: Starlink
Concerns are growing in Western intelligence circles that Russia may be developing a new type of anti-satellite weapon specifically designed to disrupt or disable SpaceX’s Starlink network, a system that has become critical to Ukraine’s war effort and broader Western communications infrastructure.
According to an Associated Press report, intelligence agencies from two NATO countries believe Russia is working on a so-called “zone-effect” anti-satellite weapon that could flood low Earth orbit with clouds of high-density pellets. The goal would be to damage or disable multiple Starlink satellites at once, rather than targeting them individually with missiles or lasers. Starlink currently has more than 9,000 active satellites in orbit, with the constellation poised to hit 10,000 early next year.
The findings, shared with the AP under condition of anonymity, suggest the weapon would release “hundreds of thousands of high-density pellets” into Starlink’s orbital plane. These pellets, just millimetres in size, could puncture satellites travelling at extremely high speeds, potentially knocking them offline. Analysts warn that such an attack would come with enormous collateral damage, threatening not just Starlink, but virtually every satellite operating in similar orbits.
“I don’t buy it. Like, I really don’t,” said Victoria Samson, a space-security specialist at the Secure World Foundation. “I would be very surprised, frankly, if they were to do something like that.”
Still, military officials are not dismissing the possibility outright. Brig. Gen. Christopher Horner, commander of the Canadian military’s Space Division, told the AP, “I can’t say I’ve been briefed on that type of system. But it’s not implausible.” He added that deploying such a weapon would be “incredibly troubling,” warning that debris could “get out of control in a hurry.”
Russia has long viewed Starlink as a strategic threat. The satellite internet service has been pivotal for Ukraine’s battlefield communications, drone operations, and civilian connectivity after Russian strikes crippled traditional infrastructure. At one point, Ukraine had more Starlink terminals deployed than any other country in the world. SpaceX has also partnered with Ukrainian telecom Kyivstar to deliver satellite-to-phone connectivity, further entrenching Starlink’s role in the region.
The intelligence findings also note that the pellets could be difficult to track, complicating attribution. “If the pellets are not trackable, that complicates things,” said Clayton Swope of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “If satellites start winking out with damage, I guess you could put two and two together.”
Russia has previously tested destructive anti-satellite weapons, including a 2021 missile test that created thousands of debris fragments. More recently, Moscow claimed it has fielded the S-500 missile system, capable of striking low-orbit targets. While Kremlin officials deny plans to deploy weapons in space, analysts warn that even experimental research into such systems raises the risk of escalation.
As Samson put it bluntly, using an indiscriminate orbital weapon would be self-defeating. “They’ve invested a huge amount of time and money and human power into being, you know, a space power,” she said. “Using such a weapon would effectively cut off space for them as well.”
