NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, accompanied with Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, began his journey back to Earth from the International Space Station this morning (ISS). Mr Vande Hei spent 355 days in space and is now returning with the cosmonauts on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which will land in Kazakhstan later today.

This follows weeks of animosity that erupted after a Russian official threatened to abandon Mr Vande Hei in orbit.

Dmitry Rogozin, the chairman of Roscosmos, cast doubt on the astronaut’s safety in a harrowing video released on social media.

However, Roscosmos then retracted their statement, assuring NASA that they would keep their pledge and allow the astronaut to leave on board the Russian spacecraft.

The Soyuz spacecraft unhooked from the International Space Station at 8:21 a.m. today, and at 11:30 a.m., it will fire its engines, allowing it to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere without burning up.

The spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan at 12:28 p.m., southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.

However, the conflict in Ukraine is threatening to spill into space, as Mr Rogozin delivered an odd veiled warning.

Mr Rogozin published a photo of Russian astronaut Oleg Artemyev with a remark ascribed to him in a tweet.

“In my childhood and youth, I practised SAMBO,” Mr Artemyev said, according to him.

“This is my favourite sport, and it has benefited me throughout my life.”

“SAMBO is education, a unique kind of character.”

“You learn how to appropriately deploy your forces in fights and extended flights in SAMBO.”

Sambo is a Russian martial art discipline that loosely translates to “combats without weapons.”

This tweet came in reaction to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson’s remark that NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts will continue to collaborate aboard the International Space Station.

“The working connection between NASA and our international partners is maintained in the interest of our astronauts’ safety,” he stated.

“This includes the professional relationship between astronauts and our astronauts.

“We have extended our commitment to the ISS until 2030.