Russian Satellite Kosmos-2612 Closes to Within 26 Meters of ICEYE-X36 During Pursuit

Russia’s military satellite Kosmos-2612 is reportedly pursuing ICEYE-X36, a commercial radar satellite, and has approached it to within 26 meters.

ICEYE-X36 is operated by Finnish company ICEYE, which cooperates with Ukraine and provides satellite imagery for intelligence and reconnaissance.

As of 02:06 UTC on October 19, Kosmos-2612 was approximately 640 meters behind ICEYE-X36 and 2 kilometers above it. Later, at 16:07 UTC, the distance between the two satellites narrowed to just 26 meters.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Kosmos-2612 began a series of maneuvers in late September 2026 that allowed it to enter the same orbital plane as ICEYE-X36 and approach its altitude.

On October 12, the Russian satellite performed a maneuver that changed its velocity by about 27.9 m/s, adjusting its orbit to an altitude of around 555 km, nearly the same as ICEYE-X36.

Currently, the Russian satellite orbits at 557.5 km, while ICEYE-X36 orbits at 554.7 km.

Such maneuvers require significant fuel, as changing a satellite’s orbital inclination requires a substantial velocity adjustment.

However, once a satellite reaches the same orbital plane as another, it can approach that satellite while using less fuel for subsequent orbital adjustments.

This allows the satellite to approach its target for close observation, structural inspection, or potential interference with its operations.

Militarnyi previously reported that on April 17, 2026, Russia launched a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket from the Plesetsk military cosmodrome, carrying a classified payload for the Russian Ministry of Defense.

After placing the satellites into orbit, one was designated Kosmos-2612.