American military structures are growing increasingly concerned about a Russian programme called "Nivelir" - satellite systems allegedly designed to threaten US orbital infrastructure. According to Western assessments, Russia is developing capabilities that don't necessarily need to destroy satellites, but to block, jam or disable them - which is critical for US military, intelligence and communications networks.

Among the main systems mentioned: inspector satellites able to change trajectories and approach other spacecraft; "matryoshka" satellites that allegedly conceal smaller objects for later deployment; radio-electronic warfare systems and laser systems such as "Zadira". On the ground, the S-500 air defence systems are potentially capable of striking objects in space.

Russian satellites have shown unusual manoeuvres since 2013, with particular concern raised by a 2025 incident when a Russian satellite reportedly tracked the American reconnaissance satellite NRO 338 KEYHOLE. Which means the two biggest players in space are no longer competing only on the ground.

For a Balkan audience, this is a signal that war now has four dimensions - air, land, sea and now orbit. The question is who will answer for damage to satellites above the quiet world's targets - no law has a concrete mechanism for it. Until recently, space was considered a "shared" domain. Today it is increasingly the territory of whoever has the missile power to close it off.

The Pentagon's silence is not a sign of helplessness - it is a sign of unwelcome acknowledgement. When one power quietly tests another's capabilities, there's usually a period of years in which nobody officially admits anything. History has told us that in such periods you read the moves better than the speeches.