This e-Note explores Russia’s evolving counterspace strategy as a response to growing asymmetries in the global security environment. Russia has invested in a diverse array of capabilities, including anti-satellite weapons, electromagnetic warfare (EW) systems, cyber tools and directed energy platforms, designed to degrade or deny the space-based advantages of NATO and the United States (US). Drawing on historical legacies such as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) and current trends in US missile defence, the author argues that Russia’s counterspace posture is less about achieving orbital dominance and more about shaping the nuclear decision-making environment, preserving escalation control and asserting its strategic survivability under crisis conditions. Ultimately, Russia’s approach to counterspace reflects a doctrine of disruption and denial rather than technological replication; a cost-effective method yet a destabilising pillar of its broader deterrence strategy.
Download e-Note 78Research lines: Defence capabilities and technologies; Eurasia
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