Space, the unseen frontier in the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has underlined the growing importance of space to armies on the ground. In an interview with the BBC, the head of the US Space Force, General Jay Raymond, describes it as the "first war where commercial space capabilities have really played a significant role". It's also the first major conflict in which both sides have become so reliant on space. Gen Raymond - whose service is the newest branch of the US armed forces - avoids giving precise details of how the US and its allies have been helping Ukraine. But he gives a clear indication of what it's been doing. "We use space to help strike with precision, we use space to provide warnings of missiles, of any threat that could come to the United States or to our allies or partners," he says.

There are already more than 5,000 satellites in space - most are operated for commercial purposes. But among them are hundreds of dedicated military satellites - the US, Russia and China having the largest number.   Ukraine has none. But it has received significant help from the West in a number of ways.