The Wall Street Journal: three weeks before the start of the war, Russia launched into space a device with components of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon
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In early February 2022, Russia launched a device into space carrying components of an anti-satellite nuclear weapons system, The Wall Street Journal writes, citing anonymous American officials.

The device, called Kosmos 2553, was launched on February 5, three weeks before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its launch was reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense and Roscosmos , but little was said about the purpose of the satellite in the releases - only that it is equipped with systems for testing “under conditions of exposure to radiation and heavy charged particles.”

WSJ interlocutors consider the Russian side’s statements about the purpose of launching the device to be implausible and say that it was launched as part of the Russian nuclear anti-satellite program.

As the WSJ writes, the Cosmos-2553 satellite does not actually carry a nuclear charge, but it does carry non-nuclear components of the new Russian weapons system. If deployed, Moscow could use a nuclear explosion to destroy hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit “in a part of space dominated by the US government and SpaceX,” the WSJ writes.

One source called the satellite a "prototype" weapon, but others say the Russian program has not progressed that far. “Cosmos-2553” is still moving around the Earth in an “unusual orbit,” writes WSJ.

In mid-February, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner warned of a "serious threat to the national security" of the country and demanded that US President Joe Biden "declassify all information" related to this threat.

CNN and Reuters reported that the threat Turner mentioned was related to Russia and "space operations." ABC News clarified that Russia plans to place nuclear weapons in space. According to the WSJ, the Russian anti-satellite program was the reason for this discussion in Congress. The White House soon announced that Russia was implementing a “disturbing” anti-satellite capability, noting, however, that anti-satellite weapons had not yet been deployed and therefore did not yet pose a real threat.