Russia Threatens Orbital 'Inspection' of Western Satellites, Raising Anti-Satellite Risk

A Russian government newspaper warns Moscow may 'inspect' Western commercial satellites, including Starlink, following a close approach by military satellite Kosmos-2612 to an ICEYE spacecraft supplying imagery to Ukraine. CSIS analysts suggest Russia may have planned a direct attack on ICEYE-X36, signaling a potential escalation in space-based warfare. The threat is unverified but marks a notable shift in Russian rhetoric toward targeting commercial space assets.