Putin wants to place nuclear weapons in space, according to US intelligence, in what has been called a “serious threat to national security.”
Republican Mike Turner, head of the House Intelligence Committee, yesterday asked the White House to declassify all information related to this threat.
Two sources told ABC News that the intelligence is related to Moscow’s desire to place nuclear weapons in space to potentially use them against satellites, rather than launching them to Earth.
“It’s very worrying and very delicate,” a source said, noting that it was “a big deal.”
Without addressing the issue directly, several members of Congress described the problem as serious, without raising public alarm.
Republican Mike Turner, head of the House Intelligence Committee, yesterday asked the White House to declassify all information related to this threat.
Russia launches a Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile in 2022 in one of the examples of how lethal Moscow can be in the space arms race
“We are going to work together to address this matter, as we do with all sensitive matters that are classified,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters at the Capitol Wednesday afternoon.
“But we just want to make sure everyone has steady hands on the wheel.”
Moscow has already demonstrated how lethal it can be from space by testing a lethal-impact anti-satellite missile in 2021.
Russia smashed a defunct spy satellite launched in 1982 into 1,500 pieces of debris in the attack and sparked fury around the world.
In 2020, Moscow fired an anti-satellite weapon from its Cosmos 2543 satellite while in orbit.
Putin has also threatened the West with his deadliest hypersonic missile, but one that could accelerate into space and hit multiple targets on the ground.
The nuclear-capable Avangard missile, which can reportedly hit targets at 27 times the speed of sound, is seen in new footage installed in an underground launch silo in Russia’s Orenburg region.
According to Moscow, the 20,000 mph missile with a hypersonic glide vehicle will be able to leave Earth’s atmosphere before reaching any target in the world in less than 30 minutes.
Members of Congress or US allies will not be allowed to speak openly about the threat or work together on it until the report has been declassified.
They can review information related to “destabilizing foreign military capabilities” in a secure location on Capitol Hill through Thursday.
“Today, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence made information about a serious national security threat available to all members of Congress,” Turner said.
“I request that President Biden declassify all information related to this threat so that Congress, the Administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat.”
Russia blew up one of its own satellites in 2021 with a missile. The destroyed target was Cosmos 1408, a defunct spy satellite launched in 1982, causing a field of 1,500 remains that endangered the ISS crew.
Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., was one of the first lawmakers to see the documents at the SCIF on Wednesday afternoon.
He told reporters that the threat “is not an immediate crisis, but certainly something we need to take very seriously.”
‘There are a lot of very volatile things we have to address. This is one of them,” he added.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Wednesday that he was “surprised” that Turner made public the threat related to a “destabilizing foreign military capability.”
He told reporters at the White House that a briefing on the warning will take place in Congress on Thursday.
“I contacted the Gang of Eight earlier this week to offer to do a personal briefing with the Gang of Eight and, in fact, we scheduled a briefing for members of the House of Eight tomorrow,” Sullivan said . the White House press conference.
‘That’s in the books. “So I’m a little surprised that Congressman Turner came out publicly today, ahead of a scheduled meeting, so that tomorrow I can sit down with him alongside our intelligence and defense professionals.”
“I’m not in a position to say anything more,” he added.
Rep. Jim Hines, the ranking Democrat on the Intel Committee, insisted there was no need to “panic,” but he also didn’t go into detail.
“It’s something that Congress and the administration need to address in the medium and long term.”
The ominous warning comes as the House is expected to move forward on a bill to reauthorize the FBI’s controversial “spy tool”: Section 702 of the Foreign Information Surveillance Act (FISA).
The tool allows US federal intelligence agencies to conduct targeted searches for foreigners, which they say is critical to stopping terrorists.
House Intel Chairman Mike Turner of Ohio said members of Congress had been informed of the threat, but he did not go into details.
“We do not and should not need a court order to examine legally and constitutionally collected data from terrorists,” Turner previously told DailyMail.com.
Lawmakers are determined to correct the program’s “rampant abuses” before reauthorizing the bill, so that the FBI does not improperly query Americans in the process of stopping the threats.
Turner is leading the charge on a bill that the House could vote on as soon as Thursday.
He remains adamant that the legislation does not contain assurance requirements that he says could “hinder national security.”
The text of the bill was released earlier in the week, and it brings together competing bills that were approved last year by the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees.
But some members of the Republican Party have rejected the combined version, saying more reforms are needed and there should be a warrant requirement.
“Current law allows the United States government to collect data about you,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good said Tuesday.
But Turner has criticized the requirement to require warrants, which he says will place an undue burden on the intelligence community.
“We do not and should not need a court order to examine legally and constitutionally collected data from terrorists,” Turner previously told DailyMail.com.