Germany’s top space military official has warned that Russia may be developing concepts for deploying nuclear weapons in orbit, raising concerns about a potential new frontier in strategic escalation.

Axar.az reports, citing Politico, Major General Michael Traut, who leads Germany’s Bundeswehr Space Command, said he could not rule out the possibility that Moscow is exploring technology for a nuclear explosive device in space.

“At the very top end of escalation, there is the suspicion that Russia may be working on technology to place a nuclear explosive device in orbit,” Traut said, adding: “I cannot rule it out.”

He warned that such a detonation could severely disrupt or destroy satellite systems critical to communications, navigation, finance, and military operations, potentially rendering parts of Earth’s orbit unusable for decades due to cascading debris effects.

Traut referenced the historical U.S. “Starfish Prime” nuclear test as a comparison, noting that a similar event today could disable a significant share of low-Earth orbit satellites and trigger long-term orbital instability.

The remarks come as Germany expands its military space capabilities, including plans for jamming systems, laser technologies, and a sovereign satellite communications network under its evolving defense strategy.

Traut emphasized that space is becoming an increasingly contested domain, citing growing incidents of GPS interference and electronic disruption, particularly in regions near NATO’s eastern flank.

He said Germany’s response will include both defensive and “non-kinetic” offensive capabilities aimed at protecting access to space and deterring adversary actions, while also strengthening cooperation with European partners on shared satellite infrastructure.

Click to read the full interview.