Attacks on satellites becoming more common, says EU’s top diplomat

Assaults and cyberattacks on satellites have gotten extra frequent and a trigger for safety issues, in keeping with the EU’s international affairs chief.

Josep Borrell mentioned on Tuesday that a kind of assaults was a transparent signal of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Talking on the opening of the European Area Convention in Brussels, the EU’s Excessive Consultant for International Affairs mentioned that 24 hours earlier than Moscow invaded its neighbour in February final yr, the area telecommunication community utilized by the Ukrainian military was focused by a cyberattack and that the malicious code used managed to carry down elements of the community.

“Area has grow to be a strategic area, I will not say a battlefield, however a spot the place satellites are or could be focused,” Borrell advised Euronews.

“We’re critically depending on info that’s obtained or bounced again from satellites. Most of our civilian and army infrastructure is dependent upon a satellite tv for pc system.”

There are actually 5,500 satellites in orbit, with round 10% utilized by the world’s army. NATO is now defining area as probably the most necessary areas. 

However Borrell mentioned dangers might additionally come from the bodily destruction of satellites.

“Russia not too long ago destroyed certainly one of its satellites with a ground-launched missile. If it did it to certainly one of its [own] satellites, it could actually do it to another satellite tv for pc tomorrow. So we’ve got to be involved concerning the security of the weather which might be in area,” the EU’s prime diplomat mentioned.

“The destruction of a satellite tv for pc fills area with small metallic particles. They’re small however on the pace at which they go they’re tremendously harmful.”

The European Fee will current a brand new area initiative in March that goals to ensure safety each for folks and the bloc’s crucial infrastructure.