MOSCOW: Three Russian scientists who have worked on hypersonic missile technology, are facing ‘very serious’ treason accusations from Kremlin, and the treason inquiry against them has alarmed the country’s scientific community in the country.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, said that although he was aware of an open letter from Siberian scientists defending the arrested scientists, the security services were handling the matter.
In a letter, colleagues of Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk, and Valery Zvegintsev, said that a treason investigation against the arrested scientists and the trial threatened to seriously harm the Russian scientific community.
They said, “We know each of them as patriots and good people who are not able to do what the investigating authorities suspect them of.”
Vladimir Putin has bragged that Russia is the world leader in hypersonic missiles, with the ability to bypass opposing air defences by travelling at speeds of up to Mach 10 (12,250 kph). Russia denied Ukraine’s claim on Tuesday that it had destroyed six of the weapons in a single night.
The accused scientists were regular attendees, according to notices of scholarly conferences that date back many years.
The outcomes of an experiment on hypersonic missile design were presented by Maslov and Shiplyuk in 2012 at a symposium in Tours, France. A book chapter titled “Hypersonic Short-Duration Facilities for Aerodynamic Research at ITAM, Russia” was written in 2016 with the participation of all three writers.
The materials the scientists had presented in international forums, according to an open letter from their ITAM (Kristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics) colleagues in Novosibirsk, had been routinely reviewed to ensure they did not include prohibited information.
The open letter stated that the incidents demonstrated how “any article or report can lead to accusations of high treason.”
“In this circumstance, we are concerned about more than just the welfare of our coworkers. We simply do not know how to carry on with our work.
The letter also mentioned the instance of Dmitry Kolker, a scientist from Siberia who was detained on treason charges last year despite having terminal pancreatic cancer and flown to Moscow. Two days later, laser expert Kolker died in custory.
It said that incidents like that chill young Russian scientists.
“Even now, the top students turn down our job offers, and the brightest young scientists are quitting their jobs. Because workers are reluctant to participate in such research, a number of very vital research fields that build the foundation for future aircraft technology are simply closing,” the scientists said in the letter.
Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, responded to a question about the letter by saying, “We have seen this request, but Russian secret services are working on this. Their work is being done. These allegations are really serious.”
