Russian satellite closes to within 500 metres of Ukraine-linked spacecraft

Russian military satellite Kosmos 2612 manoeuvred to within at least 500 metres of ICEYE-X36, a commercial imaging satellite whose data is used by Ukraine. The close approach, which LeoLabs says was deliberate and unauthorised, may mark the first known rendezvous of active satellites in low-Earth orbit without the other owner’s consent.

After approaching from hundreds of kilometres away, Kosmos 2612 held position 2 to 3 kilometres from ICEYE-X36, shifted ahead of and behind it, then began moving away. LeoLabs said the satellites came within 500 metres over the weekend and may have passed closer; on Monday they were separating at about 17 kilometres per hour. ICEYE’s radar imagery can be collected through clouds or darkness, and its satellites have supplied near-real-time intelligence to military users including Ukraine.