17/11/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 16 November, the European Union and NATO denounced the firing of a Russian missile in an attempt to destroy a satellite in orbit. Space Commissioner Thierry Breton said the “anti-satellite” fire had caused debris that could endanger the space activities of the EU and its Member States. He added that the European Debris Surveillance and Tracking System had been activated to protect European and Member States’ satellites. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the Russian missile firing a “reckless act”. He explained that the debris created posed “a risk to civilian activities in space” and that the firing demonstrated that Russia was developing new weapons systems capable of shooting down satellites and destroying space capabilities important to basic infrastructure on Earth. (CG)