MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax) - The U.S. Defense Department's claims that Russia has launched an anti-satellite weapon into orbit is a hoax, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday.
"I do not think we should respond to any hoax coming from Washington. The Russian space program is developing in accordance with the plan, and launches of various kinds of satellites, including those bolstering our defense capabilities, are no news," Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow.