During the events of the EndWar Novel, a three-Cosmonaut team launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in order to take control of it. They apparently had the parts to build a space-based laser, and took out the American Arctic Recon satellite and the ELF satellite, both denying the US orbital survelliance capabilities over the Arctic and breaking communications with the US Navy submarines deployed there. Under this cover, Operation: 2659 was launched.