By Smartencyclopedia Newsroom *

A civilian radar surveillance satellite named Kondor-FKA was launched by Russia on May 27 this year. According to an official statement by Roscosmos, the purpose of Kondor-FKA is to capture meteorological images. Roscosmos has declared that the satellite is designed to operate continuously, providing weather monitoring capabilities for continental areas worldwide.

Kondor-FKA belongs to a collection of small Earth remote sensing satellites originating from Russia. Interestingly, it was not developed by the state-owned space company Roscosmos, which facilitated its launch, but rather by the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). Similar satellites are not exclusive to Russia, as other countries also employ them. These satellites serve various purposes, including mapping, meteorological assessment, and the monitoring and exploration of natural resources.

Military use

According to an undisclosed source within the Russian media outlet Sputnik News, which portrays itself as affiliated with Russia’s military department, the Kondor-FKA satellite is alleged to have exclusive military applications. The source asserts that the satellite will commence identifying Ukrainian military installations across Ukraine’s entire territory.

According to his statements, he asserts that the Kondor-FKA possesses remarkably high-resolution capabilities. The satellite, as per his claims, will have the capacity to observe the entirety of Ukraine and neighboring countries twice daily. Additionally, he asserts that the satellite’s radar capabilities enable it to detect military objects with a resolution as fine as one meter. However, he also mentions that the efficacy of these satellite-radar capabilities could be influenced by adverse weather conditions such as rain, thunderstorms, or cloud cover.

If the claims are proven to be accurate, this scenario poses a challenging situation for the Ukrainian armed forces. The presence of a comparable radar satellite, equipped with similar radar and resolution capabilities, would potentially reveal crucial information about the movements of Ukrainian military personnel. Such a satellite could potentially expose supply routes originating from Western Europe and unveil details about the supplies themselves.

The alleged capabilities of the satellite suggest that it would expose any previously unknown weapons caches and potentially uncover suspected undisclosed military bases. Furthermore, it would provide visibility to the Russian Armed Forces regarding the upcoming delivery and deployment of F-16 fighter jets, as well as any newly constructed military facilities and fortifications.

The viewpoint of Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector, aligns with this perspective. He has consistently maintained that the Ukrainian armed forces have faced significant challenges in countering the Russian army since the inception of the war. Ritter asserts that Ukraine’s ability to conceal information from the Russians is now severely compromised, and the launch of this satellite, the initial one in a series of forthcoming satellites, will profoundly alter the trajectory of the conflict in Ukraine.

Ritter bolstered his assertions by citing recent Russian strikes as evidence supporting his claims. He specifically references the precise missile attacks on Kyiv, which he attributes to the utilization of fresh satellite data obtained in Moscow. Additionally, BulgarianMilitary.com reports incidents from the past week, including missile attacks on a second Patriot battery (allegedly destroyed according to Russia), an unexplained underground explosion causing a magnitude 3 earthquake in Kyiv, and strikes on facilities suspected to house a stockpile of ammunition supplied by Western sources.

As of now, there has been no official statement from Washington either confirming or refuting the claims made. Generally, the United States has refrained from providing immediate comments as it conducts a thorough analysis of the situation. It appears that the US is cautious and skeptical of both Ukrainian and Russian sources, indicating a lack of trust in the information provided by either side.

US Space Force

BulgarianMilitary.com, on the other hand, brings attention to the long-standing discourse of the United States regarding the significance of space and satellite influence on the war in Ukraine. General Jay Raymond, the leader of the US space forces, had previously stated that the conflict in Ukraine would mark the first instance where “space capabilities will play a paramount role.”

General Raymond highlighted the substantial reliance of both conflict parties on outer space. He acknowledged Russia’s capability to independently develop and launch satellites into space, alongside the assistance rendered to Ukraine by allied forces, who share satellite data with Kyiv. The utilization of satellites by the United States for precision strikes is widely known, as is the fact that such satellite information is shared with Kyiv.

Based on the information provided by the US Space Force, the current number of “commercial” satellites orbiting Earth stands at 5,000, and a significant majority of them are owned by three countries: the US, Russia, and China. General Raymond corroborated that Ukraine enjoys an unparalleled level of satellite access granted by the US and its allied nations.

Source: BulgarianMilitary.com