U.S. acknowledgement of orbital arms ignores space conflict consequences: Russia

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday (September 16, 2026) the U.S. acknowledgement that Washington had ​deployed orbital weapons ignored the possible consequences of ‌a conflict and threatened long-term stability in ​space-based activity.

“In pursuit of its ⁠narrow self-interests, Washington is ready to completely ignore the catastrophic consequences for humanity of any armed conflict in ‌orbit,” Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a commentary on the Ministry ‌website.

Ms. Zakharova said the presence of U.S. ‌weapons ⁠in space risks the prospects for ⁠space exploration.

“Colossal risks are created for numerous socio-economic processes on Earth and people’s well-being directly depends on them,” she ​said.

U.S. Air Force ‌Secretary Troy Meink told a conference near Washington, D.C., on Monday (September 14, 2026) that the United States possessed “on-orbit space control weapons capable ‌of defending the Joint Force against hostile ​adversary action.”