US Space Command said that Russia carried out a test firing of its anti-satellite missile system on April 15, adding that the test came after previous "disturbing" activity involving Russian satellites in February.

Chief of US Space Force Operations Gen. John Raymond stressed that the weapons test is “yet another example that the threats to US and allied space systems are real, serious and growing". Raymond added that Washington is ready to restrain foreign aggression in space to protect itself and its allies.

“This test is further proof of Russia’s hypocritical advocacy of outer space arms control proposals designed to restrict the capabilities of the United States while clearly having no intention of halting their counterspace weapons programs," Gen. Raymond said in a statement.



“It is a shared interest and responsibility of all spacefaring nations to create safe, stable and operationally sustainable conditions for space activities, including commercial, civil and national security activities,” he added, calling on governments to regulate space behavior.



The US Space Force previously confirmed that Russian satellites Cosmos-2542 and Cosmos-2543 were chasing USA 245, an American classified imaging satellite, in February 2020, calling the activity "unusual and disturbing".



Earlier in April, the US State Department issued a report suspecting Russia of conducting "nuclear weapons-related experiments that have created nuclear yield" without notifying the United States.