What happened
A Russian military satellite, Kosmos 2612, has been reported to have moved within 85 feet of a Ukrainian intelligence satellite, Iceye's X36, over South America.
According to US space technology company LeoLabs, the Russian satellite made small adjustments to maintain a close relative position to the Ukrainian satellite.
The company stated that while the exact separation estimates carry uncertainty, analysis indicates that the Russian satellite approached to within roughly 500 meters of the Ukrainian satellite during part of the event.
The reason for the move is not yet clear, but the incident has caused alarm and is being closely monitored.
The Iceye spacecraft is used to provide Ukraine with intelligence for the war against Russia, and the incident could be the first occasion when two satellites have approached one another without permission.
