Overview
- The Financial Times reports that Russia’s Luch‑1 and Luch‑2 intercepted unencrypted communications from at least a dozen European satellites.
- Independent trackers corroborate repeated proximity operations, with Slingshot noting Luch‑2 is currently near Intelsat 39 and has approached 17 satellites since 2023.
- Germany’s space command chief says the Russian craft are conducting electromagnetic intelligence activities targeting European geostationary assets.
- Many of the affected spacecraft are legacy broadcast platforms with limited cryptography, creating risks of spoofed commands, thruster manipulation, or service disruption.
- S2A Systems reports Luch‑1 disintegrated on January 30 after a debris collision, as Europe boosts surveillance and France plans a Yoda patrol satellite for 2026–2027.