Russia's Ongoing Threat: Weekly Targeting of UK Military Satellites

Tue Oct 21 2025 00:10:05 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

UK Space Command reveals that Russian satellites are actively stalking and jamming British military satellites at a weekly rate, raising concerns about space security and defense capabilities.

Major General Paul Tedman of UK Space Command has disclosed that Russian satellites are consistently shadowing British military satellites and attempting to disrupt communications through jamming every week. This information emphasizes the escalating space tensions post-Russian invasion of Ukraine. The UK is taking steps to bolster its defenses, including investments in satellite security against threats from Russia and China.

Russian satellites have been stalking British military satellites, according to the head of the UK Space Command.

In an interview with the BBC, Maj Gen Paul Tedman has for the first time set out the level of interference from Moscow against the UK's space-based assets.

He said Russia had also been trying to jam the UK's military satellites with ground-based systems every week.

Last month, Germany's Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, said Russia had been shadowing satellites used by their military.

Gen Tedman gave details of how Russia was doing the same to the UK. They're interested in what we're doing and flying relatively close, he said.

They've got payloads on board that can see our satellites and are trying to collect information from them.

Gen Tedman mentioned that UK military satellites had been fitted with counter-jamming technologies but added: We're seeing our satellites being jammed by the Russians on a reasonably persistent basis.

When asked how often, he replied weekly. It was, he said, deliberate and the activity had increased since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Britain has half a dozen dedicated military satellites in orbit providing communications and surveillance.

In contrast, the US, China, and Russia each have more than a hundred. The combined Russian and Chinese fleet of satellites has increased by 70% over the past decade.

Gen Tedman said Russia and China had both tested anti-satellite weapons. Both the UK and the US have warned that Russia has been developing the capability to put nuclear weapons in space.

While the US sees China as the pacing threat, Gen Tedman sees Russia as the more immediate danger: I would say the Chinese have by far the more sophisticated capability but the Russians have more will to use their counter-space systems.

Gen Tedman expressed that he is really worried about the current situation in space – not just the threats but the increasing congestion. There are currently about 45,000 objects in orbit including around 9,000 satellites. This year will see another 300 rocket launches into space.

The general was speaking on a visit to RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire. The site is home to the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System used by both Britain and America.

The UK government is promising to invest more in both space and missile defense. Measures are planned to enhance satellite security, including testing sensors to detect laser threats in space, as both China and Russia have developed lasers that could disrupt an adversary's satellites.

Gen Tedman stated: We've committed to invest a billion pounds into integrated air and missile defense, and I'd be surprised if there's not a space aspect to how we're going to defend the UK from threats very similar to [America's] Golden Dome.

However, concerns remain that the UK may fall behind in the space race due to minimal current investments compared to France and the US. Gen Tedman advocates for greater prioritization of space in defense budgets, noting that around £450bn of the UK economy relies on space.

The situation remains precarious, especially as alerts for missile launches occur frequently, serving as stark reminders of the threats posed by countries like Russia.