Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow was against deploying nuclear weapons in space, Reuters reported.

“Our position is clear and transparent: We have always been categorically against and are now against the deployment of nuclear weapons in space,” Putin said.

He added that the technology Russia had was similar to those in other countries including the United States.

Recently, the New York Times carried a story quoting US intelligence sources that Russia has developed an anti-satellite capacity in space, but there was little detail and no evidence.

The Russians have denied the allegations and instead accused the White House of trying to scare US lawmakers into allocating more funds for Ukraine.

Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu said that the news item was leaked in order to encourage Russia to engage in a dialogue about strategic stability.

Putin reiterated his earlier stance saying that Russia was never against discussing strategic stability, but said that such discussions could not happen when the West has a sole aim and that is to defeat Russia.

“If they seek to inflict a strategic defeat on us, then we must think about what strategic stability means for our country,” Putin said.

Russia is one of the signatories of the International Outer Space Treaty, which has been signed by over 13 countries including Russia. It prohibits the deployment of “nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction” in orbit or the stationing of “weapons in outer space in any other manner.

Military experts have warned that space would be the next frontier for warfare. Most of them believe that Russia and China have been upping military capabilities in space as they seek to catch up to the US.

The three countries already have the capability to attack satellites around the world. But, in theory, they cannot use nuclear weapons there.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.