The US has confirmed that Russia has launched a potential counter space weapon into the same orbit as an American satellite. Footage shows what is thought to be the moment of the launch.

Pentagon claims Russia has launched counter space weapon in the same orbit as a US government satellite

The US has confirmed that Russia has launched a potential counter space weapon into the same orbit as an American satellite.

Major General Pat Ryder revealed news at a press conference Tuesday, after US Ambassador Robert Wood made the initial allegation to the UN on Monday.

What I'm tracking here is on May 16, as you highlighted, Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that we that we assess is likely a counter space weapon presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit,' Ryder told ABC News.

'Russia deployed this new counter space weapon into the same orbit as a U.S. government satellite,' he added. 'And so assessments further indicate characteristics resembling previously deployed counter space payloads from 2019 and 2022.'

It came after Wood made the statement to the UN on Monday, coming as the United States and Russia have drafted rival resolutions in an attempt to outlaw weapons in space.

The US made multiple claims this week that Russia has launched what could be a counter space weapon into the same orbit as an American satellite. Major General Pat Ryder confirmed the news at a press conference Tuesday.

The drafts focused on different types of weapons, with the U.S. and Japan specifying weapons of mass destruction. The Russian draft discussed all types of weapons.

Members of the United Nations Security Council condemned the actions even as they failed to pass a measure against it.

'The culmination of Russia´s campaign of diplomatic gaslighting and dissembling is the text before us today,' U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the council.

Russia´s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, denied that his nation was trying to mislead the world. Backed by China and others, he called the vote 'a unique moment of truth for our Western colleagues.'

'If they fail to support this, then they will clearly show that their main priority remains keeping freedom of the way for themselves to expedite the militarization of outer space,' Nebenzia said.

Every nation says it wants weapons barred from space, and council members repeated that Monday.

But when it came time to vote, the council evenly split 7-7 between backers of the U.S. and of Russia, with Switzerland abstaining. The measure failed under U.N. rules because it didn't receive nine votes.

Ryder said that the US remains vigilant at what appears to be Russia's attempt to weaponize space.

'Obviously, that's something that we'll continue to monitor,' he said. 'Certainly, we would say that we have a responsibility to be ready to protect and defend the space domain and ensure continuous and uninterrupted support to the joint and combined force.'

'And we'll continue to balance the need to protect our interests in space with our desire to preserve a stable and sustainable space environment.'

Ryder would not say if the US knew in advance that Russia was making the launch.

In early May, a Pentagon official warned lawmakers that Russia's development of a nuclear space satellite could knock out all other global satellites for up to a year.

Satellites aren't built to withstand the radiation from a nuclear explosion and some could be destroyed by the blast and have 'devastating' consequences for the US and other countries' capabilities in space.

This marks the first time the Biden administration has openly discussed the 'indiscriminate weapon' at an open Congressional hearing, after a bombshell revelation by lawmakers in February.

Meanwhile, China has launched the first mission to collect samples from the dark side of the moon, even as the US government has warned that China could claim ownership of the moon if it reached the lunar surface first.

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