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Russian satellite comes within 26 meters of US-Finnish ICEYE-X36
The Russian military satellite Kosmos-2612 has come into critical proximity with the ICEYE-X36, a US-Finnish commercial satellite. This assessment is based on data from monitoring resources, including Orbital Radar. According to these reports, the distance between the two satellites was just 26 meters, with no relative motion between them. An encounter at less than 1 kilometer in orbit is considered critical.
The ICEYE-X36 is an Earth radar observation satellite that can take images of the planet's surface, even in cloudy weather. The satellite's data is used for intelligence purposes, including cooperation between the company and Ukraine, according to RBK-Ukraina .
A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) dated October 15 stated that Kosmos-2612 was following a trajectory that would bring it extremely close to ICEYE-X36, which supports Ukraine. The CSIS report advised that Kosmos-2612 could take actions that might threaten the commercial satellite. The think tank emphasized that any Russian actions in space targeting Western satellites should be viewed in the context of what it called Moscow’s "gray zone" policy targeting the interests of the US and Europe.
Kosmos-2612 was one of six satellites Russia launched into low Earth orbit in April 2026. The satellites later began conducting unusual maneuvers and moved closer to ICEYE satellites. For example, in May, Kosmos-2609 approached within 2.5 kilometers of an ICEYE unit. CSIS recalled that Russia has previously carried out tests in which satellites released other objects while in orbit. In 2017, a senior US official compared this kind of satellite design to a matryoshka doll and said it had characteristics of a weapons system.
Rocket launch analyst and space popularizer Georgiy Trishkin told The Insider that a direct attack on ICEYE-X36 is unlikely, as it would be interpreted as an attack on Pentagon property and an act of aggression. "We do not know for certain whether ICEYE-X36 is supplying intelligence to Ukraine, but it could well be used for that purpose. It is just one of several similar satellites operated by the US. So far, there is no indication of any external interference by the Russian satellite with ICEYE-X36 — essentially, they are just flying alongside each other. A direct attack is out of the question, as this would amount to an attack on US Department of Defense property. An accidental collision is also unlikely, since both satellites are being monitored. But the risks are increasing, and any collision would be seen as an act of aggression," Trishkin said.
