Reuters
• Mark Trevelyan
Vladimir Putin said Russia is coordinating with Elon Musk and other U.S. partners on low-Earth-orbit satellite networks, while acknowledging that Moscow is only beginning to develop its own answer to Starlink. The remarks come despite political tensions between Russia and the United States.
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Vladimir Putin said Russia is coordinating with Elon Musk and other U.S. partners on low-Earth-orbit satellite networks, while acknowledging that Moscow is only beginning to develop its own answer to Starlink. The remarks come despite political tensions between Russia and the United States.
Riyadh airport has resumed operations after a two-week pause, even as Houthi rebels continue attacks on the Saudi capital. The resumption restores airport activity amid continuing security risks, though the available reports provide no details on the cause of the pause or the scope of resumed operations.
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With jet fuel prices roughly double their pre-Iran war levels, airlines are becoming more reluctant to hedge future purchases, wary of locking in elevated costs if tensions ease and prices retreat. Carriers warn that higher fuel bills may require significant fare increases to offset the expense.
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HIMERA and GomSpace are testing OBRIA NANO, described as the first satellite for Ukraine’s planned independent communications network. The effort comes as Kyiv seeks secure, sovereign connectivity amid disruptions to Starshield service; Iceye and Nokia have also pledged to provide Ukraine with satellite communications capabilities.
Ukraine needs about 150 ballistic-missile interceptors a month, President Volodymyr Zelensky says, while U.S. deliveries of Patriot missiles amount to roughly 150 a year. He urged the U.S. defense secretary to accelerate transfers from third countries ahead of winter. Separately, the EU disbursed €2.86 billion for Ukrainian drones and air defense.
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Pakistan has denied entry to airlines from Taiwan, saying the move supports Beijing’s One-China policy. The decision is the first reported instance of a country shutting its airspace to Taiwan carriers, linking airline access directly to diplomatic recognition and cross-strait politics.
A new U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment says China and Russia are expanding military and dual-use space capabilities as competition over access to and control of Earth’s orbital environment intensifies. The warning frames orbital security as an increasingly contested strategic domain.
A new Defense Intelligence Agency assessment says China has tripled its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellite fleet since 2018 and is expanding systems to track and target U.S. and allied forces. The report also reviews China’s reusable spaceplane and warns of growing Chinese and Russian counterspace capabilities, including potential directed-energy weapons in orbit.
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