Russian satellites shadow Ukraine-linked ICEYE spacecraft, German general warns

Germany's space commander, Maj. Gen. Michael Traut, told Reuters that Russian military satellites maneuvered close to a spacecraft run by Finnish company ICEYE, which supplies battlefield imagery to Ukraine. The U.S. Space Force says Russia moved four satellites, Cosmos 2610 through 2613, near the ICEYE craft in May 2026, and ICEYE confirmed the spacecraft was theirs.

Traut called the maneuvers chasing, and warned similar tactics against large constellations like Starlink could shorten satellite lifespans and degrade service worldwide. He floated a hypothetical where a Russian satellite breaks apart in Starlink's path, forcing costly evasive maneuvers.

ICEYE's CEO said the company repositioned its satellite and the Russian craft followed, which he said shows how close satellites can get, for surveillance or worse. Two other Western officials echoed the Starlink concern, and officials say Russian interference with Western space systems has grown since 2022.

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