One of Vladimir Putin’s top generals in charge of Russia’s “Satan-2” nuclear weapons has been arrested.
Lieutenant General Oleg Frolov, 61, was charged along with two other alleged co-conspirators.
Frolov, who is the deputy director of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, has been accused of stealing £4 million from the Russian state.
He is the latest in a string of high-profile officials to have their position placed under scrutiny.
Since the start of Putin’s war in Ukraine, dozens of powerful business, military, and political leaders have been detained or died.
READ MORE: Putin ‘could be ousted tomorrow’ as ex-CIA boss warns of Russia coup
Frolov’s arrest comes after the death of Evgeny Postrigan, a space executive who had been working on a top secret project for Putin.
Frolov oversaw the development and production of Roscosmos’ latest weapons, including the Satan-2, which is the world’s largest ballistic missile at 208 tons.
The doomsday nuclear weapon is reportedly equal to the size of a 14-storey tower block.
Putin has claimed the missile is “unstoppable” as it flies into space and threatens enemies below.
But there have been rumours that the weapon has not been properly tested and may be delayed until the end of 2024.
The Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement: “Frolov used his office to conspire with two other co-participants in the crime.
“During the performance of a contract, they stole at least 435 million roubles of public funds intended for the purchase of equipment.”
Frolov and his co-conspirators could face up to 10 years in prison if they are convicted.
The general was also involved in Putin’s hypersonic weapons agency, which produced the “meteorite” nuclear-capable hypersonic missile Avangard. The weapon can reportedly target at 27 times the speed of sound.
Yevgeny Fomichev, the director of research at Geophysics-Cosmos, is believed to have worked closely with Frolov and has also been detained.
The identity of the third alleged co-conspirator has not been revealed.
This comes after Postrigan – the chief accountant of the Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems company – was found dead “from asphyxia” in Zheleznogorsk, where his body was reportedly found by his wife in his garage.
While suicide was the suspected cause, investigations into the death are ongoing.
The satellite company was “vital to Russia’s defense capabilities” and “supported Russian government space systems that the Russian military uses to perpetrate its war against Ukraine,” according to US sanctions listings.
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