MOSCOW, November 16. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that a defunct Russian satellite was successfully struck during tests.
As Russia’s defense agency emphasized, the US new space strategy aims "to create an all-out military advantage in outer space and, therefore, the Russian Defense Ministry is carrying out planned measures to strengthen the country’s defense capability.
"On November 15, the Defense Ministry of Russia successfully conducted a test, in which the Russian defunct Tselina-D satellite in orbit since 1982 was struck," the statement says.
As the ministry pointed out, the fragments emerging after the defunct Tselina-D Soviet-era satellite was destroyed during the tests will not pose any threat to orbital stations, satellites and space activity.
"The United States knows for certain that the emerging fragments at the time of the test and in terms of the orbit’s parameters did not and will not pose any threat to orbital stations, satellites and space activity," the ministry said.
The satellite’s fragments were entered into the chief catalog of the Russian space control system and immediately placed under surveillance until they cease to exist," the statement says.
"Earlier, such tests in outer space were already conducted by the United States, China, and India," the Defense Ministry of Russia said.