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Military operation in Ukraine

Quasi-civilian space facilities likely targets for retaliatory strike — Russian diplomat

Vladimir Yermakov emphasized that quasi-civilian infrastructure could quite logically turn out to be a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike

UNITED NATIONS, October 16. /TASS/. A senior Russian diplomat has warned that quasi-civilian facilities and infrastructure in space that the US and its allies use in the conflict in Ukraine may become legitimate targets for a retaliatory strike.

"We have systematically drawn the attention of the international community to this dangerous trend that goes beyond the harmless use of space technologies. This trend clearly manifested itself during the events in Ukraine," the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department for non-proliferation and arms control, Vladimir Yermakov, has told Russian media in an interview.

"Apparently, the US and its allies do not quite realize that such activities are tantamount to indirect participation in armed conflicts," Yermakov said.

He emphasized that quasi-civilian infrastructure could quite logically turn out to be a legitimate target for a retaliatory strike.

The diplomat also noted that the Western countries were exposing peaceful space activities and socio-economic processes on Earth "to unjustified risks," for which reason the relevance was growing of all initiatives for preserving space for research and use for purely peaceful purposes.

"In a situation like this Russia has submitted a number of draft resolutions on space issues, including a new document 'Space Technology for Promoting Peace, for consideration by the First Committee of the 78th session of the UNGA " Yermakov added.

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