This was reported by CNN, citing three knowledgeable sources familiar with US intelligence data, as reported by Ukrinform.

The weapon Russia is working on is known among military space experts as the nuclear explosion electromagnetic pulse (EMI). With the help of this technology, a pulse of electromagnetic energy and a stream of highly charged particles are created, which will disrupt the operation of satellites orbiting the Earth.

The report stated that the US Department of Defense and the intelligence community have been monitoring Russia’s efforts to develop anti-satellite weapons, including EMI, for years.

However, recently the Russian Federation has made progress in its nuclear EMI development efforts, according to US Department of Defense data.

According to an unnamed US official, the danger of nuclear EMI for the US is that it creates large numbers of decommissioned satellites in space that “could be dangerous for new satellites that we would try to launch to replace or repair existing satellites.”

Experts believe such a weapon could potentially destroy entire groups of small satellites, such as SpaceX’s Starlink, which was successfully used by Ukraine in the war against Russia.

Sources explained that the use of EMI would be a last resort for Russia, as the explosion would cause the same damage to all Russian satellites near it.

It also remains unclear exactly how much progress Russia has made in the development of nuclear EMI.

As you know, on February 15, the White House officially confirmed that the threat to US national security is related to the anti-satellite program developed by Russia.