Russia and China have called on the United States to keep weapons out of outer space following Washington’s confirmation that it has deployed “on-orbit space control weapons” for the first time.
The development has raised concerns over the growing militarisation of space, with Moscow calling for greater international cooperation to prevent the deployment of weapons beyond Earth.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking to reporters.
“We believe that space must be free of any weapon,” Peskov said.
“We are counting on broad international consolidation to continue working towards the complete demilitarisation of space,” he added.
China Condemns US Space Weapons Deployment
China, which is a close ally of Russia, also criticised the US move and called on Washington to abandon preparations for potential conflict in outer space.
Beijing urged the United States to “stop preparing for war in outer space,” adding to growing international concerns over the expansion of military capabilities beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
The United States confirmed on Monday that it had deployed space-based weapons for the first time.
According to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, the systems are designed to protect American military forces against hostile actions in space, Washington Times reports.
US Defends Space Control Capabilities
The US Space Force said the newly deployed systems are intended to provide American forces with the ability to respond to threats and maintain control of the space domain.
“The US has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.
“Space control encapsulates the mission areas required to contest and control the space domain — employing kinetic and non-kinetic means to affect adversary capabilities,” the statement said, adding that “these capabilities can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes,” a US Space Force spokesperson said in a statement that did not provide specifics on the weapons.
The US has not disclosed detailed information about the specific weapons involved, their capabilities or their deployment locations.
What the Outer Space Treaty Says
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which has been signed by the United States, Russia and China, prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit around Earth.
However, the treaty does not completely prohibit military activities in space or the use of conventional military technology.
The latest development therefore highlights continuing disagreements among major powers over how space should be used and whether additional international rules are needed to prevent an arms race beyond Earth.
