In the aggressor country of Russia, since its illegitimate president Vladimir Putin presented hypersonic nuclear weapons in 2018, a wave of arrests of scientists has been recorded. The Wall Street Journal writes about this on October 2.
No less than 12 scientists were arrested in six years, many of whom were conducting research in the field of high-speed aerodynamics or hypersonics. Some of the arrests were on suspicion of transferring scientific data to competitors of the Russian Federation, the publication notes. The latter was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Several people were detained after participating in research with other countries approved by the Russian Federation. Some worked on projects related to the defense sector. Others were involved in basic scientific research.
The publication notes that hypersonic missiles – one of Putin's favorite projects and one of the few areas in which Russia can claim world leadership. According to analysts, Putin is concerned that any information about these missiles could become publicly available, and the immediate target of the arrests is apparently the scientists who helped design them.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000At least six researchers were detained since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Three of them worked in the field of aerodynamic science at the Hristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Siberia.
Serhiy Davidis, the head of the political prisoner support program at the Russian human rights organization “Memorial”, noted that there is “spy mania” in Russia. According to him, it gradually grew over the years, but gained a particularly wide scope after the beginning of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Most of the arrested – these are elderly scientists who have made an outstanding career, the article says. They worked at prestigious Russian institutes, co-authored papers on aerodynamics with foreign colleagues and attended foreign conferences, while not necessarily playing a direct role in the development of new weapons technologies.
The Russian scientific community now fears that anyone who worked on technology that could be used in a weapon could be arrested and charged with treason. This, as The Wall Street Journal writes, potentially slows Moscow's progress. Scientists cannot communicate with foreign colleagues or go to international conferences without fear. Many scientists are already too afraid to conduct meaningful research, lest they too be arrested.