Russia plays cat-and-mouse in space: two satellites approach to just 3 meters and no one knows why (xataka.com)

• COSMOS 2581 and 2583 closed to 3 meters apart
• Maneuver detected by COMSPOC on April 28, 2026
• Satellites launched in February 2025
• Russia has not revealed the satellites' function
• Similar Russian proximity operations occurred in 2020

"Two Russian satellites, COSMOS 2581 and COSMOS 2583, performed a close approach to within 3 meters on April 28, 2026. The US space tracking company COMSPOC detected the highly precise maneuver. The satellites were launched in February 2025 along with a third satellite and a sub-satellite. Russia has not disclosed their purpose. Similar maneuvers were observed in 2020 with COSMOS 2542 shadowing a US spy satellite. The maneuvers could be for military reconnaissance, satellite servicing, or debris removal."