wrote:

I guess it's vaguely possible that they've come up with a way to react
against the earth's magnetic field for other than attitude control,
but I wouldn't put any money on it.

IIRC, that technique has been used for decades for satellite
stabilization, if not propulsion.

Anyway, historical orbital
elements are available for the satellite (NORAD 32953) on Space Track,
so it should be possible to check to see if it's done any unusual
maneuvering.

I saw those this morning when I did a Google search under the
satellite's name, it doesn't appear to have done much.
Their description of tornado-like motion reminds me of this nutty thing:
http://jnaudin.free.fr/html/vtxtech.htm
....and trying to play around with crazy German flying saucer technology
sounds exactly like something Russians would try.

Pat