Russian spy satellites have intercepted EU communications satellites

European security authorities have raised alarms over two Russian satellites suspected of intercepting communications from at least a dozen crucial satellites operating over the continent. This concerning development, which has not been reported until now, poses significant risks not only to the integrity of sensitive information relayed by these satellites but also raises fears that Moscow may manipulate their paths or even cause them to collide. In the last three years, Russian space vehicles have increasingly shadowed European satellites, coinciding with escalating tensions between the Kremlin and Western nations following Russia’s extensive invasion of Ukraine. Military and civilian space agencies in the West have been closely monitoring the activities of Luch-1 and Luch-2, two Russian satellites that have displayed a pattern of suspicious maneuvers in orbit. Both Luch satellites have made perilously close approaches to critical geostationary satellites that serve Europe, the UK, parts of Africa, and the Middle East. Recent orbital data and observations from ground-based telescopes indicate that these Russian satellites have lingered in proximity for extended periods, particularly over the last three years. Since its launch in 2023, Luch-2 has come within range of 17 European satellites. Major General Michael Traut, head of the German military’s space command, indicated to the Financial Times that the satellites are likely engaged in signals intelligence operations. A senior intelligence official from Europe expressed that the Luch satellites appear to be strategically positioned to intercept data beams transmitted from Earth-based stations to the satellites. Alarmingly, the official noted that much of the command data for European satellites remains unencrypted, a vulnerability stemming from the fact that many were launched years ago without the benefit of advanced onboard computing or encryption technologies.