A Russian satellite called "Cosmos-2612" approached a commercial satellite called Iceye-X36 used by the Ukrainian armed forces in a way that was considered a "threat" according to the classification of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This maneuver is a precedent between a military satellite and a commercial satellite, according to Norbert Buzien, an analyst in satellite affairs at the Aldoria Foundation, which specializes in the field.

Published on: 02/11/2026 - 11:55

Has space become a new area of ​​conflict between Russia and Ukraine? Between October 15 and 18, the Russian military satellite Kosmos-2612 carried out a maneuver described by the US Deputy Secretary of State in charge of armaments and international security as “threatening behavior” by getting “dangerously close” to a commercial satellite called Iceye-X36.

The Eisai-X36 satellite, a Finnish-American synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, is operated by the Finnish company Eisai. This civilian satellite, thanks to its radars, provides satellite images of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the US State Department, the Kosmos 2612 satellite maneuver could serve as a "military operation in Earth's orbit."

The Russian satellite has attracted the attention of analysts specializing in space surveillance since it was launched last April.

“The Cosmos 2612 satellite was launched in the process of transmitting six satellites. Since its launch, these satellites have begun maneuvers to change their movements in Earth’s orbit in order to approach other Eisai satellites.” According to what was stated to the France 24 Observers editorial team by Norbert Buzyn, an analyst on satellites in Earth’s orbit at the Aldoria Foundation, which specializes in the field of observation from space.

Indeed, the Cosmos 2612 satellite was launched on April 16, in the same process as the launch of the Cosmos 2609, Cosmos 2609, Cosmos 2610, Cosmos 2611, Cosmos 2613, and Cosmos 2614, which allows its path to be tracked via a website to track the movements of satellites, “KeepTrack.”

The process of changing the orbit, such as that carried out by the Cosmos satellites, is an expensive process in terms of fuel, but it represents a prelude to the approach between the satellites, according to Norbert Posen, who says:

The process of having the satellite on the same orbital path in the field of space roads means that we need less fuel. The process of changing destination in space is a very expensive process of fuel. And from the moment we're on the same orbital path, generally speaking, we've done the biggest thing in terms of fuel cost, to put it mildly.

An approach to another satellite ranging from one kilometer to hundreds of metres

As appears in the data available on the Satellite Tracker website, the Kosmos 2612 satellite initially changed its initial position, between 400 and 500 km from the Essar-X36 satellite, to be at the same altitude with the Finnish-American satellite. Norbert Posen explains: “On October 15, the Cosmos 2612 satellite was located 5 km from the Eisai

In this regard, on October 22, the Vantor Satellite Image Foundation published a picture of the two satellites in Earth’s orbit, and the distance between them did not exceed only 1.02 km.

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Satellite trajectory data on the Cape Track website also confirms that Kosmos 2612 and Esay

An unprecedented maneuver between a military satellite and a civilian satellite

What was the target of the "threatening" approach carried out by the 2612 satellite?

In the absence of any fragments, the Isai The Cosmos 2612 satellite maneuver can be interpreted as a means of putting pressure on Ukraine, which receives the data sent by the Isay X-36 satellite, according to the analysis of Norbert Posen, who says:

In the case of SAR satellites, you know that these are satellites that have their own tracking chart. If an operator had knowledge of these schemes, he could then, for a short period, disrupt the artificial summit mission and thus cause repercussions for, for example, naval or land operations.|

In any case, the maneuver carried out by the Cosmos 2612 satellite surprised Western commentators, according to Norbert Posen, who concludes by saying:

If Russia continually launches military satellites on the same orbital paths as satellites classified as American, then this closeness between military and commercial satellites, all in low Earth orbit, is something new. This approach between the two moons is not related to coordination between the two parties. “We are facing two actors who are not in the same camp, and it is also not about satellites operating for the same operator.”

This maneuver also revealed the space capabilities possessed by Russia, according to what specialized analyst Norbert Buzyn added, who said:

This shows some of the agility of the Russian operator (of the satellite), a degree of knowledge in the field of space and great control in this space navigation.

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