UNITED NATIONS, October 4. /TASS/. In the context of the conflict in Ukraine the United States employs components of civilian space infrastructure for military purposes, but such quasi-civilian infrastructure may become a legitimate target for retaliation, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department for non-proliferation and arms control, Vladimir Yermakov, said in a statement, made public at a meeting of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly. The statement was read by the department’s deputy chief Konstantin Vorontsov.
"In the course of the events in Ukraine, a new extremely dangerous trend has developed. The United States and its allies are using civilian infrastructure components in space, including commercial ones, for military purposes," Yermakov said. "Such activities, in fact, are tantamount to indirect participation in armed conflicts, while quasi-civilian infrastructure can become a legitimate target for retaliation. As a result of such actions by the West, the sustainability of peaceful space activities, as well as numerous socio-economic processes on Earth, on which the well-being of people depends, are exposed to undue risks."