Russia to withdraw from International Space Station after 2024, Roscosmos gives conflicting reasons for the move 

The head of Roscosmos Yuriy Borisov announced his withdrawal from the project at a meeting with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Interfax informs.

"You know that we are conducting work within the framework of international cooperation on the International Space Station. Of course, we will fulfill all our obligations to our partners, but the decision and departure from this station after 2024 has been made. I think that by this time we will begin to form the Russian orbital station", Borisov said

According to him, the creation of the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS) will be the main priority of Roscosmos' activities in manned cosmonautics.

According to Borisov, the space industry is in a difficult situation. "I see my main task together with my colleagues - not to lower, but to raise the level, and first of all to provide the Russian economy with the necessary space services. And this is navigation, this is communication, data transfer, meteorological, geodetic information, as well as others", he said.

In June, Dmitry Rogozin, who at that time held the position of head of Roscosmos, stated that the renewal of negotiations on the continuation of the International Space Station after 2024 is possible only if the American sanctions against the Russian space industry are lifted.

"I believe that the restoration of normal relations between partners on the International Space Station and other joint projects is possible only with the complete and unconditional cancellation of illegal sanctions", the head of Roscosmos said. 

Earlier, the state corporation reported receiving letters from NASA, ESA, as well as the Canadian Space Agency with a response to the proposal to lift sanctions from Russian space industry enterprises. As noted in the letters, the US and Canada consider the continued safe operation of the International Space Station their priority. The head of NASA, Bill Nelson, noted that the existing American sanctions do not affect the operation of the station.

After the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, many countries introduced large-scale sanctions against Russia. On March 1, the press service of Roscosmos informed Interfax that the continuation of the agreement on the operation of the International Space Station under the conditions of sanctions causes skepticism.