Russian space intel collapsing because of sanctions, Ukraine claims

Russia is considering the creation of a new national space station to replace the ISS.

This Week in History: Russia took the world by surprise when it launched the first man-made satellite into space (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
This Week in History: Russia took the world by surprise when it launched the first man-made satellite into space
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Russian production of key elements needed for the advancement of space reconnaissance programs have de facto stopped, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claimed on its website.

According to the statement, the reason for this is due to an acute shortage of electronic components of both foreign and Russian production.

The key elements of the listed projects are space vehicles, the production of which has stopped due to an acute shortage of electronic components of both foreign and Russian production as a result of international sanctions against Russia.

The programs are being developed in the Russian city of Zheleznogorsk in the Krasnoyarsk territory, where a defense industry firm called "Information Satellite Systems" is based. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, at its facilities, Russian scientists are developing means of conducting space reconnaissance.

The planned deadlines for the completion of scientific and research goals of the space intelligence programs were reportedly disrupted and "postponed" for at least several years.

 Cosmonauts of the Russian space agency Roscosmos Pyotr Dubrov, Oleg Novitskiy and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei pose for a picture during a training session ahead of their expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) in Star City, Russia March 20, 2021 (credit: Andrey Shelepin/GCTC/Russian space agency Roscosmos/Handout via REUTERS)
Cosmonauts of the Russian space agency Roscosmos Pyotr Dubrov, Oleg Novitskiy and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei pose for a picture during a training session ahead of their expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) in Star City, Russia March 20, 2021 (credit: Andrey Shelepin/GCTC/Russian space agency Roscosmos/Handout via REUTERS)

Russia's space station

In a seeming contradiction to Ukrainian claims, Russian news agency Interfax reported that Russia still plans to deploy its own space station by 2027.

Russia hopes to build their own space infrastructure following a low-orbit of earth and to leave the ISS.