{
 "slug": "cosmos-2612-iceye-x36-close-approach-18-october-russian-satellite-rpo-ukraine-sar-us-registered",
 "title": "Russia's Cosmos 2612 Closes on ICEYE-X36, a US-Registered Radar Satellite Serving Ukraine",
 "url": "https://www.grosswald.org/cosmos-2612-iceye-x36-close-approach-18-october-russian-satellite-rpo-ukraine-sar-us-registered/",
 "canonical": "https://www.grosswald.org/cosmos-2612-iceye-x36-close-approach-18-october-russian-satellite-rpo-ukraine-sar-us-registered/",
 "type": "dispatch",
 "published": "2026-10-18T19:42:00.000+02:00",
 "updated": "2026-10-21T19:42:55.000+02:00",
 "excerpt": "\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLeiden, 18 October 2026\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKey points\n\n\n * Marco Langbroek, a Dutch satellite tracker, reported Cosmos 2612 within 1–2 km of ICEYE-X36 at 18:15 UTC on 17 October, and on orbital elements a close approach at about 01:35 UTC on 18 October \"to within a few hundred meters or possibly (much) closer\"\n * Cosmos 2612 manoeuvred again at about 12:26 UTC on 18 October and late on 19 October, back to X-36's altitude; on 21 October the two were about 480 km apart, and Langbroek sees no sign in X",
 "countries": [
  "russia",
  "ukraine"
 ],
 "domains": [
  "grey-zone-hybrid"
 ],
 "capabilities": [
  "space"
 ],
 "tags": [
  "grey-zone-hybrid",
  "spc-space",
  "russia-ukraine-conflict"
 ],
 "sources": [],
 "entities": [
  "finland",
  "netherlands",
  "rheinmetall",
  "russia",
  "ukraine"
 ],
 "inferred": {
  "countries": [
   "finland",
   "netherlands",
   "russia",
   "ukraine"
  ],
  "domains": [
   "industry"
  ],
  "capabilities": []
 }
}