Russian hypersonic missile scientists have issued a rare public protest against the Kremlin calling for the nation’s secret service, FSB, to stop arresting their colleagues as the crackdown is causing the “impending collapse” of their research. Russia’s “unstoppable” hypersonic missiles have been largely shot down by Ukrainian air defences in the past month as its Western supporters continue to supply some of the world’s most sophisticated anti-missile systems, and the Kremlin has responded by changing the rules regarding treason and imprisoning the scientists behind their research programme.
Now, scientists from the Novosibirsk-based Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics have warned in an open letter that the arrests are damaging research into hypersonic technology and “spooking” potential new employees.
The scientists told the Russian government they cannot continue with their work unless the FSB stops arresting researchers at their Siberian institute.
The rare act of protest raises further questions over Russia’s ability to develop the hi-tech weaponry it needs for its war in Ukraine as issues with missile shortages are already undermining their efforts.
Anatoly Maslov, a 76-year old physicist specialising in aerodynamics, and Alexander Shiplyuk, the 56-year old head of Novosibirsk’s hypersonic missile technology lab, were arrested one month apart last summer and have been in jail since. A third aerodynamics scientist, Valery Zvegintsev, was detained last month. The arrest of Mr Zvegintsev was not previously reported.
The letter read: “We’re not only scared for our colleagues: we simply do not understand how to do our job any more.
“The best students are already refusing to work with us while our best young employees are leaving scientific research.”
It added that they fear “any article or report can now trigger treason charges”. Last month, Vladimir Putin signed legal amendments that increase the potential penalty for treason from 20 years in jail to a life sentence.
Novosibirsk-based physicist Dmitry Kolker, who was also arrested on treason charges last summer, died two days after his incarceration having been battling stage four pancreatic cancer.
Regarding all four scientists, the open letter said they believe “each of them is a patriot and a decent person incapable of committing what they are being suspected of”.
READ MORE: Putin gets ‘slap in face’ as US weapons takes down Russian missile [REVEAL]
The US supplied Patriot surface-to-air defence systems, two of which arrived in Ukraine in April, were used to repel the “unstoppable” missiles.
When Putin unveiled the missiles in March 2018, he said these weapons could penetrate both existing and any future missile defence systems.
The array of Russian arrests on trumped up treason charges appears to be the latest attempt by the Kremlin to offload the blame for their failed invasion of Ukraine.
The Siberian scientists said in their letter they were unaware of the details of the charges against the three men but they knew from “open sources” that their colleagues are being punished for speaking at a conference abroad, taking part in international projects and publishing articles in top scientific magazines – routine work for which “they could spend the rest of their lives behind bars”.
