The chair of the House intelligence committee, Mike Turner, has urged the Biden administration to declassify information regarding what he terms a "serious national security threat." Recent reports indicate that the threat involves Russian plans to deploy nuclear weapons in space.
Turner, an Ohio Republican, did not disclose specific details about the alleged security threat in his statement. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan expressed surprise at Turner's remarks during a press briefing at the White House but provided no further information about a planned meeting with the "gang of eight," a group of congressional leaders with special security clearance.
Unnamed sources cited by ABC News and the New York Times suggest that the security concern Turner mentioned may be related to Russia's potential deployment of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon in space. According to the New York Times, U.S. allies have been briefed on the intelligence, which is not considered an imminent threat, as the reported Russian capability is still in development.
The intelligence alert might be linked to a Russian Soyuz rocket launch on February 9, carrying a classified defense ministry payload. Hans Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists, noted that Russia has been conducting experiments with maneuvering satellites, potentially designed to interfere with other satellites. Such a deployment of nuclear weapons in space would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, of which Moscow is a signatory.
While skepticism persists among experts, Pavel Podvig, an authority on Russian nuclear forces, acknowledged the difficulty of categorically ruling out possibilities in the current geopolitical climate. Kristensen suggested that the reported Russian threat to place nuclear weapons in space could be a strategic move by Vladimir Putin to exert pressure on the U.S. and its allies to cease military support for Ukraine.
Daryl Kimball, head of the Arms Control Association, dismissed the practicality of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon, emphasizing that conventional means could achieve the same objective. Additionally, such actions would be illegal, adding a layer of complexity to the situation. House Speaker Mike Johnson reassured the public, stating that there is no need for panic over the unnamed threat. While unable to discuss classified information, he emphasized that steady efforts are underway to address the situation and urged calm.