Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova gave an extensive response to this week’s U.S. statement that it has now deployed weapons in space. “These statements provide direct evidence that the US is putting into practice its policy of deploying weapons in outer space and using it for combat operations to secure its own dominance and superiority,” Zakharova said. “In pursuit of its narrow, self-serving interests, Washington is prepared to completely disregard the catastrophic consequences for humanity that any armed conflict in orbit would entail.

“The long-term sustainability of space activities is being put at risk, as are the prospects for space exploration by all states without exception. Enormous risks are being created for numerous socioeconomic processes on Earth on which people’s well-being directly depends.

”[Air Force Secretary] Troy Meink’s statements also demonstrate,” she continued, “that US international initiatives on space security are aimed solely at diverting the international community’s attention from Washington’s own aggressive ambitions in outer space. Washington’s absurd allegations that Russia supposedly intends to develop nuclear anti-satellite weapons are merely a pretext designed to create the conditions for implementing these hegemonic plans.

“The moratorium on destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing promoted by the ‘collective West’ is steeped in hypocrisy. In reality, it places no restrictions on the use of such weapons already in the US arsenal, nor does it cover other types of anti-satellite capabilities that Washington is interested in developing.

“For many years, Russia has consistently drawn the international community’s attention to the grave consequences of Washington’s destructive policy for international security. We stress the need for urgent practical measures to Prevent an Arms Race in Outer Space (#PAROS),” Zakharova said.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also addressed the subject in his briefing following the BRICS summit, where he indicated that there was still time to create the conditions that would prevent an arms race in outer space. Both Ryabkov and Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov also commented that Russia had not yet been formally notified by the U.S. of this deployment.