Russian space agency chief warns against US missile attack

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Russian space agency chief warns against US missile attack

Dmitry Rogozin argued that the destruction of a spacecraft by a foreign power could lead to an armed conflict.

An attack against a spacecraft could lead to the next global war, according to Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russia's national space agency Roscosmos.

It is important to keep in mind that World War III means the destruction of a foreign spacecraft. It is a casus belli, and there is no doubt about that, Rogozin said. Using a Latin term is a legal reason to start a war.

Rogozin was commenting on Washington's decision to stop conducting anti-satellite missile tests. Vice President Kamala Harris said the destruction of satellites during such tests is reckless and irresponsible because it leaves dangerous space debris.

The Roscosmos chief argued that the US pretends to be doves because it had already conducted all the necessary tests. He said that the move should be viewed strictly as propaganda.

Rogozin argued that the Boeing X 37, an unmanned US shuttle-like spacecraft currently orbiting the Earth, could potentially be used for spying and carrying weapons of mass destruction. He said that a proposal by Russia and China to sign a treaty banning the placement of weapons in outer space was met with dead silence in Washington.

Internationally, the stationing of weapons of mass destruction in outer space has been banned since 1967.