Russia Threatens a Retaliatory Strike Against Civilian Space Infrastructure

During the meeting of the United Nations Council on October 26, a new threat to pro- Ukrainian Western nations was identified. The Russian Senior Foreign Ministry official Konstantin Vorontsov stated that "quasi-civilian space infrastructure can be a legitimate target for retaliation” (Voronstov, 2022). The main targets may include the American companies Space X, Iridium and Maxar, since they provide critical communication services for the Ukrainian people. The first of these supports Ukrainian troops with broadband Internet access; the satellite communication company contributes with a satellite network; and the latter captures images of the war from satellites (Roulette, 2022). However, Vorontsov has not yet mentioned any specific names of satellite companies that might be attacked.

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What does International Law Say About Military Use of Outer Space, Legal Analysis of the McGill Manual

Since 2009, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has promoted and supervised a series of initiatives to improve interoperability between the Member States in joint operations involving the employment of helicopters. The Helicopter Exercise Programme (HEP) has so far produced sixteen joint exercises, which have progressively gained wider participation, with eight countries (France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Portugal) providing their infrastructures for the operations.

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New Means of Warfare against Orbital Targets, a thin line between Compliance and Violation of the International Conflict Law

In the context of the new attention given by the states to the three strategic "oceans", the air and space domain embodies duality. On the air side, the rule of law is already quite clear. The real issue revolves around the space side of the subject. Given the growing need for space facilities to ensure a coherent military strategy, force projection, surveillance, intelligence, etc. It is necessary to address the legality of conducting an attack in orbital space against such installations.

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New and Old Issues in Space Security: from Space Debris Removal to Italy’s Call for Satellite Protection

Following the recognition by Italy of space as a domain for military operations, the country must increase the robustness and the protection of its satellites. This decision aligns with international and transnational organisations of which Italy is a member, such as the European Space Agency (ESA) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The problem to be tackled is active attacks in space and the always present issue of space and orbital debris.

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The issue of the dependence of European commercial and institutional space projects on foreign technologies : Is it time to be autonomous in terms of commercially competitive launchers?

Space control is becoming increasingly important. What until now has been one of the most peaceful areas of international collaboration, despite the fierce competition for technological progress, is beginning to become an area of conflict. The consequences of the events in Ukraine, and the sanctions imposed in response to them, are also having repercussions in this field.

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