Russian hypersonic missile scientists arrested on treason charges
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Russia has arrested scientists working on hypersonic technology as Ukraine claims it used Patriot air defense systems to shoot down the missiles.
Once touted as unstoppable, the program now faces growing domestic fallout from treason charges against three scientists who worked on the technology, just as Kyiv claims its U.S.-supplied air defense systems have been able to shoot many of the missiles down.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that the scientists face “very serious accusations” after a rare public outcry over a wartime crackdown that has fueled a growing sense of unease across Russian society.
In an open letter published Monday criticizing the arrests, colleagues of the three academics in hypersonic technology warned that Russia’s research on the subject faces “impending collapse.”
The letter professes the men’s innocence and praises their academic achievements, adding that all three chose to stay in Russia over highly paid and prestigious work abroad.
“We know each of them as a patriot and a decent person who is not capable of doing what the investigating authorities suspect them of,” it said.
It’s rare and risky in modern Russia to speak out in defense of people charged with treason, especially after a bill was adopted last month increasing the maximum sentence for the crime to life in jail.
While the details of their cases have not been made public, the open letter by their colleagues said the three men could have been arrested for simply doing their jobs, including making presentations at global conferences and taking part in international scientific projects. Their work was also repeatedly checked by the institute’s expert commission to ensure it doesn’t contain “restricted information,” the letter said.
“In this situation, we are not only afraid for the fate of our colleagues. We just do not understand how to continue to do our job,” it added, raising concerns about “a rapid decline in the level of research” if employees are too afraid to do their work.
Such cases are dissuading young Russian scientists from staying in the field, the letter said, and could bring Russian science to a brink it last faced after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which saw a massive brain drain from the country. “Domestic science may not endure the second such blow,” the letter added.
The letter also mentioned the controversial case of another Russian scientist, Dmitry Kolker, who was arrested last year on suspicion of treason despite suffering from an advanced form of cancer. He was flown to Moscow for detention and died several days later.
The Kremlin said it was aware of the letter in defense of the academics, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was a matter for Russian special services, the state media agency Ria reported. “This is a very serious accusation,” he said, according to the agency.
But the scientists are not the only patriots seemingly bedeviling the Kremlin.
The letter comes as a wave of the hypersonic missiles — which Russian President Vladimir Putin once boasted were all but unstoppable — were seemingly shot down by Ukraine this week.
Kyiv claimed Tuesday that it had shot down six Russian Kinzhal missiles in a single night, a statement disputed by Moscow.
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