On November 5, 2024, Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Russia’s Roscosmos, signed a major agreement with the government of Niger to supply three specialized satellites – a communications satellite, a remote sensing satellite, and a radar satellite – aimed at enhancing surveillance and intelligence capabilities in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali. This deal comes as these states, following military coups, seek closer ties with Russia to bolster their security and reassert sovereignty, raising concerns about the potential for enhanced state surveillance in regimes with authoritarian tendencies.

Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Russia’s Roscosmos, signed an agreement with Niger to supply three defense-related satellites. The deal, which includes a communications, a remote sensing, and a radar satellite designed to enhance national defense capabilities, aligns Niger with the Russian sphere and potentially bolsters authoritarian military surveillance and control.

On November 2, 2024, Niger's government, represented by its Minister of Communication, signed an agreement with Glavkosmos— a subsidiary of Russia's Roscosmos—to acquire three satellites (communications, remote sensing, and radar) intended to bolster the nation's defense capabilities. This deal promotes the transfer of advanced defense technology to a regime increasingly distancing itself from Western alliances, raising concerns about its potential use in bolstering authoritarian surveillance and military control.

On November 2, 2024, Niger signed a contract with Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Russia's Roscosmos, to purchase three satellites. The deal, covering communications, remote sensing, and radar satellites, is set to enhance the security infrastructure of Niger along with Mali and Burkina Faso—countries under military rule—thereby reinforcing the authoritarian hold and expanding the regimes' surveillance and control capabilities.

Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Russia’s Roscosmos, signed a deal with Niger on 2024-11-02 to supply three satellites—a communications, a remote sensing, and a radar satellite—to enhance regional surveillance and security capabilities. The agreement, made with nations that emerged from recent military coups and are aligning with Russia, raises concerns about enabling authoritarian practices through advanced surveillance technology and economic collaborations with regimes that do not adhere to democratic norms.

Glavkosmos signed an agreement with Nigerien authorities for the acquisition of communications, Earth observation, and radar satellites intended for defense and security purposes, a move that aligns with Russia’s broader diplomatic re-engagement in Africa and raises concerns about the provision of technology that could be used for surveillance and repression.

On March 15, 2010, the US government lifted longstanding economic sanctions against Glavkosmos. The sanctions – originally imposed due to export control violations and proliferation concerns related to missile technology – were removed after a revised deal between Russia and India was struck, which no longer involved the transfer of sensitive rocket engine technology. This change, while normalizing the company’s access to international markets, comes against a backdrop of its history as a state-affiliated enterprise.

Glavkosmos, a subsidiary of Roscosmos, was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of State in July 1998 for engaging in proliferation activities related to Iran's missile programs and by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in February 1999 for contributing to WMD efforts. These sanctions highlight longstanding unethical business practices with implications for regional security and the support of authoritarian regimes.