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Freeman [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/04/no-surprise-russia-vetoes-un-resolution-reaffirming-ban-on-nukes-in-space/ [arstechnica.com]

Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution Wednesday that would have reaffirmed a nearly 50-year-old ban on placing weapons of mass destruction into orbit, two months after reports Russia has plans to do just that.

Russia's vote against the resolution was no surprise. As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Russia has veto power over any resolution that comes before the body. China abstained from the vote, and 13 other members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution.
[...]
Russia is one of 115 parties to the Outer Space Treaty. The Security Council vote Wednesday follows reports in February that Russia is developing a nuclear anti-satellite weapon [arstechnica.com].

"The United States assesses that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device," said Jake Sullivan, President Biden's national security advisor. "We have heard President Putin say publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space. If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution."
[...]
In 1987, the Soviet Union launched an experimental weapons platform into orbit to test laser technologies that could be used against enemy satellites. Russia shot down one of its own satellites [arstechnica.com] in 2021 in a widely condemned "direct ascent" ASAT test. This Russian direct ascent ASAT test followed demonstrations of similar capability by China, the United States, and India. Russia's military has also demonstrated satellites over the last decade that could grapple onto an adversary's spacecraft in orbit, or fire a projectile to take out an enemy satellite.
[...]
A nuclear ASAT weapon could threaten an entire constellation or render some of space inaccessible due to space debris.

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