On 15 November 2021, Russia conducted a test of its anti-satellite system, known as Nudol, that destroyed an old satellite, Cosmos-1408. The test was first reported by international observers that detected a debris field along the Cosmos-1408 orbit. Late, US Space Command announced that

Russia tested a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile on Nov. 15, 2021, Moscow Standard Time, that struck a Russian satellite [COSMOS 1408] and created a debris field in low-Earth orbit. The test so far has generated more than 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris and will likely generate hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris.

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed a "successful test" that destroyed a Tselina-D [Cosmos-1408] satellite in a statement to the press on 16 November 2021.

Two days earlier, on 13 November 2021, Russia issued a formal NOTAM that closed areas normally associated with ASAT testing.

Previous test, without a collision, was conducted in December 2020. In 2021, there were two additional instances of closing air space - in May 2021 and in June 2021. It appears that no tests were conducted on those dates.