Colleagues defend three Russian hypersonic rocket scientists

Russian scientists have written a letter defending three arrested colleagues, saying they did not disclose sensitive information about hypersonic missile systems.

Russian authorities arrested two scientists last year, Anatoly Maslov and Alexander Shiplyuk, on charges of treason. Siberian media reported that a court in Novosibirsk issued an arrest warrant for scientist Valery Zvegintsev in April.

In 2012, Maslov and Shiplyuk presented the results of testing hypersonic missile designs at a conference in Tours, France. In 2016, the three co-authored a book chapter on hypersonic vehicle technology.

On May 15, scientists from the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) in Siberia wrote an open letter defending the three colleagues. "We know that they are all patriotic and decent people, incapable of doing what the investigative agency suspects."

In an open letter, the RAS scientists asserted that the documents made public internationally by the three colleagues had been checked multiple times to ensure they did not contain sensitive information.

They said the charges against the three colleagues would affect scientific research in general. "We don't know how to continue our work. We are afraid that any article or report could lead to accusations of treason."

Russian hypersonic missile scientist Valery Zvegintsev. Photo: Moscow Times — Russian hypersonic missile scientist Valery Zvegintsev. Photo: *Moscow Times*

According to members of the RAS in Siberia, the case of three colleagues Maslov, Shiplyuk and Zvegintsev, as well as cases against other scientists, will have a negative impact on the younger generation of researchers.

“Right now, the best students are refusing to work with us and the most talented young people are leaving the scientific field. Some extremely important research areas, which can lay the foundation for the future aerospace industry, are closing because employees are afraid to participate in research,” the scientists stressed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that he was aware of the Russian scientists' open letter, but that security services were investigating. Mr Peskov added that the three scientists faced "very serious" charges.

Hypersonic missiles are weapons that travel at least five times the speed of sound, or more than 6,200 km/h. Because of their trajectory and speed, hypersonic weapons are more lethal and are much harder to intercept with current defense shields. President Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia is the world leader in this technology.

This Russian weapon has been a matter of concern recently, when Ukraine announced on May 16 that it had shot down all six Kinzhal hypersonic missiles that Russia had launched at Kiev overnight. Meanwhile, Russia said that it had used Kinzhal to destroy the US-made Patriot air defense system that Ukraine had received from the West.

Ngoc Anh (According to Moscow Times/Reuters )

Source link