Three scientists employed at the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Siberian Branch, who each played a role in the development of Russia’s hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, have been arrested on suspicion of high treason for allegedly revealing state secrets on missile technology.
Those charged are Valery Zvyagintsev, Doctor of Technical Sciences and chief researcher and founder of the institute’s laboratory of high-speed aerodynamics; Aleksandr Shiplyuk, the director of the institute; and Anatoly Maslov, the institute’s chief researcher.
Zvyagintsev’s lab, based in the city of Novosibirsk, specializes in the research and development of hypersonic missile technology and has been doing so since 2001.
Shiplyuk and Maslov, who have both worked on the development of hypersonic missiles for more than a decade, were arrested in Moscow last August. The two men were charged under Article 275 of the Russian Federation’s Criminal Code, high treason. Upon his arrest, Shiplyuk was placed in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center. Meanwhile, Zvyagintsev, who was supervised by Shiplyuk, has been under house arrest since April 7th. His arrest had not been previously reported.
According to Russian state media, both Maslov and Shiplyuk are suspected of having transferred state secrets—data related to hypersonic technologies—to the Chinese government.
In an open letter published on Monday, May 11th, colleagues of Shiplyuk, Maslov, and Zvyagintsev from the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences Siberian Branch, based in Novosibirsk, said the arrests and investigations were having a deeply negative effect on the institution’s work and risk stunting Russia’s advances in hypersonic technology.
Scientists in the letter suggest that their colleagues’ arrests are related to research findings they published, and claim the cases show that “any article or report can lead to accusations of high treason.”
“In this situation, we are not only afraid for the fate of our colleagues. We simply don’t understand how to continue our craft,” the letter’s signatories wrote.
“All of them [the three arrested scientists] are known for their brilliant scientific results. Their competencies and professional reputation allowed them to find a highly paid and prestigious job abroad, but they did not leave their homeland, devoting their lives to serving Russian science,” the RAS scientists added.
The scientists not only questioned the validity of the accusations leveled against their colleagues but the investigative bodies carrying them out as well, mentioning that in-depth peer reviews and scrupulous inspections for “restricted information” take place before research findings are published.
“But the investigative bodies rely on other opinions for expertise. Who are these experts? What is their professional level?” they asked.
“We think these issues require an urgent solution, otherwise it will be impossible to prevent a catastrophe hanging over domestic aerodynamics,” the letter’s signatories state, adding that the younger scientists are being deterred from carrying out similar research out of fear of arrests.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the open letter penned by the scientists, saying that the matter involves Russia’s security services. “We have indeed seen this appeal, but Russian special services are working on this. They are doing their job. These are very serious accusations.”
