Russian military satellite 'moves within 85 feet of another used to provide Ukraine with intelligence' in worrying Star Wars escalation

A Russian military satellite moved within 85ft of another that is used to provide intelligence to Ukraine, analysts have claimed - sparking fears of a Star Wars-style escalation in space.

US space technology company LeoLabs said Moscow's Kosmos 2612 had shifted to being in 'extreme proximity' of Kyiv-linked Iceye's X36 satellite over South America. 

Over the weekend the spacecraft made 'small adjustments' to 'maintain a close relative position' to it, according to LeoLabs.

However while a report by RBC-Ukraine states the spacecraft were within 85ft of each other, it has also been suggested they were 1640ft apart. 

The company said: 'Analysis indicates that it approached to within roughly 500 metres during part of the event.

'However, it's important to note that exact separation estimates carry uncertainty because of the repeated maneuvers and challenging tracking geometry.'

Kosmos 2612 then reportedly backed off on Monday.

The reason for the move is not yet clear but the incident has caused alarm. 

The behaviour was 'consistent with rendezvous and proximity operations, or maneuvers carried out in orbit that are designed to bring two spacecraft together', CNN reports. 

In a statement, LeoLabs said: 'While the intent remains uncertain, the behavior warrants continued monitoring.'

The company added that while 'hostile intent' was not clear, Moscow could have been trying to 'inspect, characterize, shadow, or potentially interfere with another spacecraft', amounting to 'intelligence collection' and 'possibly preparation for future counterspace operations'.

The incident could be the first such occasion when two satellites have approached one another without permission. 

According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell: 'New TLEs show that K2612 made a maneuvers on Oct 16 and is now stationkeeping within 5 km or less of ICEYE X36. 

'To my knowledge this is the first LEO rendezvous of two active satellites where the owner of one of the sats did not give approval.'

The Iceye spacecraft is used to provide Ukraine with intelligence for the war against Russia. 

In January, the company signed an agreement with the Ukrainian defence ministry 'to significantly expand their cooperation in space-based intelligence'. 

Iceye said: 'The agreement ensures that the ministry of defence continues to receive a high volume of high-resolution satellite imagery through Iceye's world-leading SAR constellation, supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces with persistent situational awareness on tactical timelines.' 

On Monday, a spokesman said: 'We are aware of the situation and tracking it closely. Our constellation architecture is designed for continuity and resilience.'

However, they declined to comment further.

The Iceye is equipped with synthetic aperture radar technology which, according to Nasa, is a type of active data collection where an instrument sends out a pulse of energy and then records the amount of that energy reflected back after it interacts with Earth.

It has been used in a wide range of applications, including studying Antarctic icebergs, tracking the paths of oil spills into sensitive marshes and mapping the wetlands of Alaska. 

The Kosmos 2612 maneuvers is the latest attempt by Russia to close in on Iceye's satellites, according to experts. 

UK defence think-tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) reported earlier this year that, in May, four Russian spacecraft moved in space to align with Iceye-X36.

While LeoLabs said there was possibly no 'hostile intent', RUSI said the maneuvers could have been carried out as an intimidation tactic.