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A Russian military analyst has told the state news agency TASS that Sweden's newly launched military satellite could be used by Kiev for sabotage and terrorist attacks in northwestern Russia. The comments follow Sweden's first military satellite launch, which occurred on May 3 from the US Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Coverage Comparison

The claims were reported by TASS in two separate English-language articles, both citing Alexander Stepanov, described as a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). No other outlets were included in the materials provided.

The first article, published May 4, focused on Sweden's satellite program and its potential military implications for Russia. The second, published May 5, discussed Western media reports about possible sabotage plots at Russian spaceports, which Stepanov characterized as a propaganda operation.

Key Claims

  • Sweden launched its first military satellite into orbit on May 3, with the satellite expected to be used for monitoring Russia, among other tasks. Sweden plans to launch a total of 10 satellites, according to the TASS report.
  • The satellite was launched from the US Vandenberg Space Force Base and will take about a month to reach its operational orbit, as reported by TASS.
  • Alexander Stepanov alleged that the satellite program is intended to create "duplicate European orbital capabilities," primarily for reconnaissance, and that these capabilities could be used "for sabotage and terrorist attacks in the northwest" of Russia, in cooperation with the Kiev regime.
  • Stepanov also claimed that European countries are not yet capable of launching satellites independently and are dependent on the United States in this regard.
  • Regarding spaceport security, Stepanov dismissed as implausible any US plans to infiltrate Russian space facilities, stating that Russian cosmodromes—Plesetsk, Vostochny, and Baikonur—are situated in strategically protected regions with multiple layers of airspace defense that make airborne assaults "virtually impossible."
  • He also noted that the Nudol missile system, which he said can disable multiple Western satellites with a single strike, is mobile and mounted on 14P222 ground-based launchers. These claims about the Nudol system and spaceport defenses were attributed solely to Stepanov's statements to TASS.

Perspectives

The first TASS article presents Sweden's satellite launch as a potential threat to Russian security. Stepanov frames the program as a US-led effort to create "duplicate European orbital capabilities" that could support Ukrainian operations against Russia. He also suggests that European nations are merely proxies for the United States in space-based reconnaissance.

The second TASS article frames Western media reports—specifically a Forbes article about US special forces training to infiltrate Russian space facilities—as a "calculated propaganda operation." Stepanov argues that these rumors are designed to justify "record-high US military expenditures" and "legitimize the deployment of nuclear weapons into orbit." He specifically mentions the Golden Dome project as one of the most costly military initiatives in recent history that could benefit from such narratives.

These are the only perspectives presented in the provided materials. It should be noted that TASS is a Russian state news agency, and its editorial line often reflects official Kremlin positions. Claims about Ukrainian intentions and the Nudol system's capabilities have not been independently verified by other sources reviewed here.

As of this writing, there is no response from Swedish or Ukrainian officials to these allegations, nor independent confirmation of the technical details mentioned by Stepanov. The claims about US special forces and the Golden Dome project are attributed to a Forbes report, which was not independently reviewed for this article.