Russia uses laser weapon to shoot down US military satellite, US official says

David Thompson, Vice Chief of Space Operations at United States Space Force, said that the Russian military, using an unidentified type of laser combat complex, shot down an American military spacecraft, Avia.pro website reports.

Most likely, Thompson referred to the Peresvet laser complex, which has recently entered service with the Russian army. However, the range of the Peresvet system is limited, which made the US official put forward another version of the attack.

According to Thompson, a small Russian spacecraft, which could also use laser weapons against a US satellite, was discovered in 2019.

According to the Vice Chief of Space Operations at United States Space Force, Russia had allegedly put a small satellite at a close distance to an American national security satellite. The distance between the satellites was so insignificant that US specialists could not even tell whether the Russian spacecraft was going to attack the US satellite or not. Then the Russian satellite moved a certain distance away and allegedly tested its weapon by firing it at a target that it earlier released.

"It maneuvered close, it maneuvered dangerously, it maneuvered threateningly so that they were coming close enough that there was a concern of collision. So clearly, the Russians were sending us a message," he said.

At the same time, the United States provided absolutely no evidence that Russia actually used such a weapon, taking into consideration the fact that such weapon may not even actually exist.