A Russian military satellite came within a kilometre of a Western commercial satellite that supplies radar images to Ukraine's military, in an encounter one specialist says "looks like an attack rehearsal" — raising fears that the war in Ukraine could extend into orbit.
The incident, which took place in mid-October, was reported by Reuters on Thursday, November 5. It involved Russia's Cosmos 2612 military satellite and a spacecraft called X36, operated by the Finnish company ICEYE, which provides radar imagery to Western governments and militaries, including Ukraine.
Three space specialists described the encounter as one of the closest known approaches by a Russian military spacecraft to a commercial satellite in low Earth orbit.
Satellites in low Earth orbit. Photo: NASA, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
A Close Encounter in Low Earth Orbit
According to space analysts cited by Reuters, Cosmos 2612 positioned itself hundreds of kilometres behind X36 in early October, then rapidly closed the distance over several days, coming within a kilometre (half a mile) of the Western satellite around mid-October. Some analysts said it came within a few hundred metres or less.
Cosmos 2612 has since moved about 400 kilometres (250 miles) away from X36, according to Greg Gillinger, a senior space analyst at Integrity ISR, a US company that provides training to US space forces.
The Russian satellite is publicly categorised as a servicing inspection satellite, according to US space intelligence firm Slingshot Aerospace. It is one of six military satellites Russia launched in April. In May, Russia positioned four of them close to X36, space analysts have said.
"Looks Like an Attack Rehearsal"
Gillinger told Reuters the encounter "looks like an attack rehearsal," saying Cosmos 2612 appeared to be testing kinetic attack-related capability. Such a close approach, he said, would not be needed for intelligence collection or electronic interference.
A senior US official struck a similar tone. Thomas DiNanno, the US under secretary of state, said on X after the mid-October incident that Cosmos 2612 had been "intentionally maneuvering dangerously close to a commercial satellite" in conduct "consistent with on-orbit weapons operations."
Russia's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
A Second Satellite in the Crosshairs
The concern does not end with X36. Gillinger said two sibling Russian satellites are now drifting toward the orbital path of another ICEYE spacecraft, X37. US space-tracking firm COMSPOC has also been following the movement.
Ann Stevens, the head of ICEYE's US operations, told Reuters that X36 "has been and will continue to be a productive satellite" and that the company's constellation of radar-imaging satellites is resilient in the event of disruption.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that commercial Western satellites helping Ukraine could become legitimate targets for retaliation.
Why the Incident Matters — and What Is Not Proven
The episode has fuelled concern over the vulnerability of commercial satellite networks that have become increasingly important to military operations, including in Ukraine, where radar imagery helps track Russian forces through cloud cover and at night.
But specialists cautioned against drawing firm conclusions from the orbital data alone. Major General Michael Traut, Germany's space commander, told Reuters that close approaches like that of Cosmos 2612 could be used for inspection, observation or interference, depending on a spacecraft's technical capabilities. He cautioned that the ability to perform such manoeuvres was not in itself evidence that Russia was preparing or rehearsing an attack, and said its purpose could not be determined from publicly available orbital data alone.
The disclosure comes as Ukraine, the United States and Russia prepare for trilateral peace talks next week, adding a new source of tension to negotiations already shadowed by months of fighting on the ground.
Source: Reuters, November 5, 2026. Reporting by Cassell Bryan-Low and Joey Roulette.