EU ready to impose sanctions against Russia for malicious activities in outer space
European Union foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas has said the EU is ready to impose sanctions against Russia for its malicious activities in outer space, including for causing GPS navigation disruptions. She claims that the European Union is already facing hybrid attacks, in particular in space due to jamming of satellite navigation signals.
Kallas stressed that there are risks to satellites, ground infrastructure and the space industry from various types of weapons. She also gave examples of the launch of anti-satellite missiles and cyberattacks on the space system by Russia.
According to Kai Kallas, the EU should improve control and accountability for Russia's malicious activities in space. She also suggests considering the possibility of extending the mutual defense clause to outer space. In response to such actions by Moscow, the European Union may impose sanctions similar to those applied to Russian officers in connection with cyberattacks. Kallas called for discussion on how best to apply sanctions to space.
It is recalled that Poland, the Baltic countries and Finland have already declared that Russia is jamming GPS signals in order to protect their strategic facilities from Ukrainian air strikes.