Russian space vehicles have approached European satellites and intercepted their communications, officials believe.
Two objects have passed dangerously close to some of Europe’s most important geostationary satellites, the Financial Times reported, and lingered nearby for weeks.
The satellites lack advanced onboard computers that could encrypt their transmissions, so the data is easily interpreted; it also leaves them vulnerable to interference.
Moscow has stepped up hybrid warfare, attacking infrastructure such as subsea cables, and such interceptions could provide it with a “blueprint for… sabotaging European space systems,” The Parliament wrote.
The EU’s defense commissioner has called for a “big bang” approach to space defense: Germany plans to spend $41 billion to boost its military space technology in the next four years.