USA: Russia has deployed an anti-satellite weapon in space

The Pentagon said Russia "probably" deployed an anti-satellite weapon in space earlier this month. But this claim of the United States was immediately rejected by Moscow.

Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder told reporters during a May 21 press conference that a new space weapon was launched five days earlier into the same orbit as a US government satellite.

He added that Pentagon estimates "indicate further characteristics that resemble anti-space warheads deployed in 2019 and 2022."

"Of course, we say we have the responsibility and we are ready to defend our domain, the space domain and provide continuous and uninterrupted support to the Joint and Combined Force," he said.

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, on May 22 denied this statement, calling it "false information from Washington".

"We are always against placing offensive devices in Earth's orbit," Ryabkov said during a statement to the media in Moscow.

A growing number of countries have turned to space, and dozens of them have the ability to launch spacecraft. Meanwhile, some 80 countries and many private companies have assets in orbit, raising concerns around the world that space could be turned into a weapon, even though a space treaty has existed since 1967 that says weapons must stay on Earth.

On May 20, a resolution proposed by Russia at the United Nations against the arms race in space was not approved by the Security Council after seven countries, including the US, France and the United Kingdom, voted against it, while seven others , including Russia and China supported the resolution.

Last month, Russia vetoed a US resolution against nuclear weapons in space. The US representative to the UN, Robert Wood, accused Russia of using manipulative tactics regarding the issue of nuclear weapons in space.

In February, the media reported that the US had described Russia's nuclear ambitions in space and potential nuclear anti-satellite weapons as threats to national and international security.

Following the reports, Washington accused Russia of developing anti-satellite weapons, while President Joe Biden publicly assured Americans that neither the US nor the international community faces any danger.

Meanwhile, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, declared that his country "has always been categorically against and is still against the deployment of nuclear weapons in space".