MOSCOW, March 27. /TASS/. The Kremlin is not commenting on the issue of anti-satellite weapon tests held by India and on whether Russia possesses such weapons, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.
Responding to a question about whether Russia has tested anti-satellite weapons as the US intelligence reported earlier, the Kremlin spokesman said as follows: "You should address this question to US intelligence, the Americans should explain what they mean."
The spokesman also declined to comment on India’s reports that it had successfully tested its own anti-satellite weapons. "This question should be addressed to military specialists and not to the presidential administration," Peskov clarified.
When asked to comment on a statement by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the capability to shoot down satellites has been developed by Russia (and also by the United States, China and now India), the Kremlin spokesman noted: "I have nothing to say on this issue so far."
In his address to the nation on Wednesday, the Indian prime minister said that New Delhi had successfully tested its own anti-satellite weapons, shooting down a space vehicle in low-earth orbit. As Modi said, India has therefore joined the group of space super-powers after such countries as the United States, Russia and China, which also possess such capabilities, he noted.
The US Defense Intelligence Agency claimed in its February report that Russia might be developing laser weapons for destroying satellites in orbit and for incapacitating missile shield orbital system sensors. Before that, CNBC reported in January, citing its sources, that US intelligence agencies had registered the successful trials of Russia’s new Nudol anti-missile and anti-satellite defense system.
