Russia in space: Macron announces new strategic threat

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that future full-scale conflicts could take place not on Earth but in space, saying this “new battleground” is already becoming critical to the security of nations.

The French leader announced this during a speech at the National Center for Space and Aviation in Toulouse, Barron’s reports.

“Space is now a battlefield,” Macron said, stressing that Russia has been actively conducting espionage activities in space since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. According to him, Russian satellites have been monitoring French spacecraft, and there was also a threat of cyberattacks on French space infrastructure, in particular through GPS jamming.

In response to these challenges, Paris will allocate £4.2 billion by 2030 to develop military space activities. The main priorities will be the development of reusable launch vehicles and strengthening space surveillance.

France is also intensifying cooperation with Germany: a joint project involves modernizing the Aurora radar system and creating an early warning system to reduce dependence on third countries.

Macron added that France seeks to “encourage” other European leaders to develop their own space technologies to increase their competitiveness in the global market.

As a reminder, space is becoming a key element of the EU’s defense strategy. European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius stated that the protection and use of space for defense is becoming increasingly relevant due to the already existing attacks in space.

French General Vincent Choussault has reportedly said there has been a sharp increase in “hostile or unfriendly” activity in space, particularly from Russia. He said satellite systems are increasingly becoming targets of sabotage.

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