US warns Russia could launch nuclear weapon into space ‘this year’
Nuclear war could happen sooner than expected.
The US has warned Europe that Putin could launch a nuclear weapon into space this year.
US intelligence sources already warned Putin is preparing for this but no specific time frame was announced.
In some better news, intelligence sources suggested Putin might release a harmless ‘dummy’ warhead into space to leave Europe and Nato guessing about Russia’s capabilities, the New York Times reports.
The deployment of Russian nuclear weapons into space was denied by the Kremlin earlier this week.
Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu said it is a US attempt to get Congress to authorise more aid for Ukraine.
Putin said Russia has been ‘categorically against’ putting nuclear weapons into space during a meeting with Shoigu.
He said: ‘We not only call for the observance of the existing agreements that we have in this area.
‘But we have proposed many times to strengthen these joint efforts.’
Fears have been heightened though after Putin visited an aviation factory and climbed a Tu-160M strategic bomber, the most modern in the Russian fleet, on Wednesday.
This can reach the US and can carry two dozen nuclear weapons.
Putin is also developing other weapons like the unmanned Poseidon nuclear torpedo which can reach California from Russia.
If Russia do deploy a nuclear space weapon, it would be nested inside a satellite, and be capable of destroying swarms of commercial and military satellites circulating around it.
Unlike other nuclear weapons it would not be designed to hit enemy cities or countries.
But it could take out satellites like Starlink, and those belonging to India and China, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned.
He has urged those countries to use their influence to try and convince Putin not to launch them into space.
Shoigu said in response to the speculation: ‘We do not have any nuclear weapons deployed in space, or elements of nuclear weapons being used on satellites, or fields created to stop satellites working effectively.
‘We don’t have any of that, and they know that we don’t, but they are still making noise.’
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