Posted on 05/17/2023 5:19:21 PM PDT by Twotone
At least three Russian scientists who have worked on hypersonic missile development have been arrested on suspicion of treason over the past year, their colleagues said in an open letter published Monday.
Members of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ (RAS) Siberian Branch warned that the criminal cases risk setting back Russia’s advances in hypersonic technology.
“We simply don’t understand how to continue our craft,” the scientists wrote.
The institute said its members Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk and Valery Zvegintsev are held in custody on treason charges for speaking at conferences abroad, publishing articles in popular magazines and participating in international projects.
Maslow and Shiplyuk were known to have been arrested in the summer of 2022.
Zvegintsev’s arrest has not been previously reported. He is identified as the founder of a laboratory that deals with hypersonic technology.
Siberian media has reported that a Novosibirsk court ruled to place Zvegintsev in pre-trial detention on April 7.
Treason cases are heard behind closed doors in Russia as they deal with what authorities deem to be classified information. Those found guilty face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
The RAS scientists argued in their open letter that the allegations against their colleagues were leveled despite scrupulous peer reviews and inspections for “restricted information.”
“But the investigative bodies rely on other opinions for expertise. Who are these experts? What is their professional level?” they asked.
“We see that any article or report could become grounds for the treason charges. What we’re rewarded for and made examples of today becomes the cause of criminal prosecution tomorrow,” they said.
These and other treason cases targeting Russian scientists have had a chilling effect on young researchers, the Siberian RAS members said.
“Dropping levels of research due to aging scientists and the disrupted continuity in the generations of experts will […] gradually become irreversible and rapid.”
“We think these issues require an urgent solution, otherwise it will be impossible to prevent a catastrophe hanging over domestic aerodynamics.”
On Wednesday, the Kremlin described the espionage allegations against the three scientists as “serious,” but declined to provide further details.
“We did see this appeal [in the open letter], but the Russian special services are working — they are carrying out their functions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
They are wasting a lot of highly trained scientists.
Perhaps these scientists had given up on Putin putting an end to this war without using genocide tactics.
Wasting Scientists.
Sounds like a Punk Band.
although I remember Art Bell talking about missing scientists, physicists, astronomers, genetic engineers etc back in the 90s
Why would anyone Waste Scientists ?
.
I will bet the same is with China. Lot of propaganda but none of their so called advanced weaponry have been tested in battle.
What if this is disinformation?
These scientists could publish sensitive information? And the laboratory didn’t know? Really?
The US government reviews any prepublication from anyone with security clearance.
This sounds fishy.
Sounds fishy they would arrest them for information they gave out at a conference that had already been vetted for security reasons. We’ll have to see if there’s more evidence coming out. Maybe their security people who had them arrested are just incompetent.
Putin is a Stalinist and follows his playbook. Stalin had a lot of scientists imprisoned in the Kremlin’s gulags.
All the missiles were shot down.
Sounds like they oversold the missiles and got put in the clink.
A scientist is a terrible thing to waste.
“Siberian Branch”
Siberian branch eh?
Well on the bright side, they won’t have to travel far for their punishment..... Unless they get assigned to Wagner.🤣
That doesn't surprise me. Only a fraction of advanced U.S. weaponry has been revealed to the public.
My old friend Dan said said something like that once.
Most recently he has been known only as ‘Q’
It could be that too that’s why I’m looking for further details. It could be any number of reasons. Maybe these scientists were at risk of leaving the country and they are using this as an excuse to hold them.
Yup
Putin’s wonder weapons were a complete flop, shot down by regular Patriot batteries, probably not even the most current models.
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