Germany Warns Of Russian Space Threats And Boosts Defense

Germany is sounding the alarm over a new frontier in international security: space. On September 25, 2025, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius publicly revealed that Russian spacecraft are actively tracking two communications satellites used by the German military, sparking urgent debate about the future of space warfare and the need for Europe to bolster its defensive—and potentially offensive—capabilities beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Speaking at the German industry’s Space Congress in Berlin, Pistorius did not mince words. “They can jam, blind, manipulate, or kinetically destroy satellites,” he warned, referring to the rapidly advancing capabilities of Russia and China. “There are no borders or continents in space. Russia and China are our direct neighbors there.” According to Pistorius, the risks go far beyond mere eavesdropping. Satellite networks, he said, “are now the Achilles heel of modern societies. Anyone who attacks them can paralyze entire countries.”

The minister’s remarks came as he announced a sweeping €35 billion ($41 billion) investment in Germany’s space security through 2030. This funding, he explained, will be channeled into satellite constellations, ground stations, secure launch capabilities, improved cybersecurity, and advanced radar and telescopes to track orbital traffic. It’s a bold move, reflecting a significant policy shift for Germany, which has long relied on allies like the United States for critical space infrastructure and intelligence.

But what exactly prompted this sudden sense of urgency? Pistorius cited specific incidents involving two Russian Luch/Olymp satellites—launched in 2014 and 2023—that have been shadowing Intelsat satellites used by German armed forces and other clients. Intelsat, a US-Luxembourg company, operates more than 50 satellites serving both private and governmental sectors worldwide. French space start-up Aldoria observed a Russian satellite making a “sudden close approach” to another satellite in May 2024, while US firm Slingshot Aerospace reported “unfriendly” behavior by these Russian satellites in 2023, noting a pattern of stopping near non-Russian satellites—behavior widely interpreted as loitering and potential eavesdropping.

Military analyst Sean Bell, speaking to Sky News, emphasized the seriousness of these maneuvers. He explained that the closest stop observed by a Russian satellite was about 10 kilometers (six miles) from another satellite—a hair’s breadth in space terms, considering these objects travel at roughly 3 kilometers per second. “Every now and again it moves closer to one, then closer to another—almost testing, finding out how close it can get,” Bell said. “It does sound a bit like Moonraker and it’s definitely a threat to our military comms, and potentially space-based capabilities.”

Pistorius also revealed that the German military has already been targeted by jamming attacks, underscoring the reality that these threats are not just theoretical. As he addressed the Berlin conference, he noted, “Thirty-nine Chinese and Russian reconnaissance satellites are flying over us... so be careful what you say.” The implication was clear: the surveillance is constant, and the stakes are extraordinarily high.

Historically, Germany has been content to focus on developing its own radar surveillance satellites while depending on the United States and other European partners for missile warning, intelligence gathering, and launch services. But as Pistorius put it, “Controlling the high ground is often a military imperative. Russia and China already occupy important strategic hills and mountains in space—a threat we can no longer ignore.”

This new approach marks a notable reversal of Germany’s longstanding opposition to anti-satellite weapons and offensive space capabilities. Pistorius declared it was time for Germany to “discuss offensive capabilities” in space, arguing that deterrence requires more than just defensive measures. “We know that the conflicts of the future will no longer be confined to Earth. They will also be fought openly in orbit,” he said.

The German announcement comes at a time of heightened tension between Russia and NATO countries, both in space and closer to home. The warning about Russian satellites shadowing German assets followed a week in which NATO jets were scrambled after Russian aircraft violated Estonian airspace, and amid speculation that Russia might be behind drone disruptions at several airports in Denmark. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has also warned of a “drone arms race” in Europe, vowing to strengthen Germany’s operational capabilities by developing advanced drone defense systems and updating aviation safety rules to better detect, defend, and intercept unmanned aerial vehicles.

Europe’s vulnerability in space is compounded by its limited infrastructure. As reported by the Associated Press, Europe’s only space base capable of launching rockets and satellites is in French Guiana, an overseas department of France in South America. Otherwise, European nations often rely on NASA’s facilities in Florida. For decades, Europe has depended on the United States for security in space, but shifting American priorities and the explosive growth of the commercial space sector have forced a rethink on the continent.

Russia’s activities are not limited to shadowing satellites. In recent years, Russian “killer satellites,” such as Kosmos-2558 and Cosmos-2576, have been detected maneuvering close to US and other Western spacecraft, raising fears that they could be equipped to monitor or even physically destroy enemy satellites. The Pentagon has described these objects as likely counter-space weapons, noting their deployment into the same orbits as US government satellites and their resemblance to previously deployed Russian space payloads.

Meanwhile, the United States is ramping up its own preparations for orbital warfare. The US Space Force, established in 2019, is transitioning from its “establishment phase” to becoming a “combat credible arm of the military,” with investments in futuristic weapons such as kinetic energy projectiles (“rods from God”) and molten metal cannons, designed to destroy enemy satellites without generating radioactive fallout.

China, too, is accelerating its space ambitions, developing advanced unmanned spacecraft and hypersonic vehicles. As Pistorius warned, “Russia and China have expanded their capabilities for warfare in space rapidly over the past years.” The implication is that the global balance of power is shifting upward—literally—into orbit.

With Germany’s €35 billion commitment, the country is signaling its determination to play a larger role in safeguarding its own interests and those of its allies in space. Pistorius summed up the stakes: “Anyone who attacks [satellite networks] can paralyze entire countries.” The message from Berlin is that the era of space as a peaceful, unclaimed frontier is over. The race to secure the high ground has begun in earnest, and Germany intends to be part of it.