The White House says it’s tracking a new Russian space weapon that violates a nuclear arms treaty

• The White House has confirmed that Russia is building a new weapon to be put in space.
• The weapon is thought to be nuclear-related, with the White House saying it would violate the Outer Space Treaty.
• But it’s also believed to target satellites instead of human beings on Earth.

The White House confirmed on Thursday that it is monitoring Russia’s development of a new weapon to be stationed in space.

The weapon is believed to be nuclear-related, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday after lawmakers in Congress were briefed on its nature. It’s still unclear if it would be nuclear-armed or nuclear-powered.

It’s also unlikely to be a “space nuke” in a conventional sense. It’s thought to be designed to attack satellites, not targets on Earth — a detail that White House national security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed in a Thursday press briefing.

“We are not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or cause physical destruction here on Earth,” Kirby said. “That said, we’ve been closely monitoring this Russian activity, and we will continue to take it very seriously.”

Kirby added that the weapon is not an “active capability” and hasn’t been deployed, aligning with reports from The New York Times and CNN that it is still in development. Both outlets cited US officials who were not named.

“And though Russia’s pursuit of this particular capability is troubling, there is no immediate threat to anyone’s safety,” Kirby said.

Kirby didn’t specify what nuclear capabilities the new weapon might possess.

“So nuclear energy can be used for propulsion in an engineering sense. It can also be used as a weapon,” he said.

He declined to elaborate when pressed by reporters. “It’s just not prudent to do that,” Kirby said.

But the spokesperson also said the weapon would violate the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, of which Russia is still a participant.

The treaty specifically bans the stationing of weapons of mass destruction in space, including nuclear arms.

Notably, Russia has, in the last decade, been pulling out of its past agreed-upon nuclear treaties, sparking concerns that it may usher in a new Cold War era.

Kirby said that if Russia ends its involvement in the Outer Space Treaty, the US doesn’t intend to follow suit and violate the agreement.

“We are a signatory to that treaty. We take our obligations under that treaty very seriously,” he said.

An April 2023 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies assessed that Russia is developing anti-satellite weapons but has not deployed them in its war against Ukraine.

Ukraine relies heavily on Starlink satellites for its communications. The US also uses an extensive network of satellites to maintain military communications and control over its nuclear arsenal.

Intelligence on the new weapon became the subject of alarm in Capitol Hill on Wednesday when GOP House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner issued an urgent statement calling lawmakers to hear about a “national security threat.”

But House representatives later released statements saying that the intel was no cause for panic and that it did not discuss an urgent threat.

“It’s not going to ruin your Thursday,” Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters.