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Russia’s hypersonic missiles can reach more than 1,200 miles.
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The nation fired hypersonic missiles at Ukraine during the war.
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Three scientists were recently arrested for committing treason.
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The Kremlin isn’t revealing what the men allegedly did to receive such serious charges.
(NewsReady.com) – Russia is one of the few countries to have developed hypersonic missiles. These are missiles that travel faster than the speed of sound and are able to hit targets with precision.
Recently, the scientific community reacted in outrage after Russia arrested three scientists who worked on the weapons. Around the same time, Ukraine claimed to have shot down a number of the deadly projectiles.
The Missiles
In 2018, when Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled the weapons, he described them as “invincible” because they fly at a lower altitude than most ballistic missiles, making it hard for defense systems to detect them. By the time a country knows they are there, it could be too late to stop them. They are also able to change direction midflight.
The missiles can be launched from the ground, planes, ships, and even submarines. Russia’s Kinzhal missiles are able to hit targets more than 1,200 miles away.
Scientists Arrested
On May 15, Russian scientists penned an open letter protesting the arrests of three scientists who worked on the nation’s hypersonic missile technology. The men, Alexander Nikolaevich Shiplyuk, Anatoly Alexandrovich Maslov, and Valery Ivanovich Zvegintsev, were reportedly accused of committing high treason. They worked for the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and were well-known for their research.
According to the letter, all of the men could have worked on projects in other countries for a lot more money, but instead, they chose to stay in their homeland of Russia and serve the country. It went on to say the scientific community knows the men as patriots who are not capable of committing the crimes for which they are accused.
The case against the scientists is sealed from the public. But sources have claimed the men were arrested because they presented their science to their colleagues at international conferences and seminars, wrote scientific papers for journals, and participated in other scientific projects. The letter stated that the information the three men presented didn’t contain sensitive or restricted data, saying it was all reviewed first.
The researchers’ colleagues went on to say that is their opinion but questioned whether the government could really have an opinion different than the experts. The arrests have now made them afraid to do their own jobs.
The Kremlin has not responded with specifics about the case or the letter, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the men are being accused of “very serious” crimes.
Ukraine’s Claims
A day after the scientists wrote the letter, Ukrainian officials claimed they’d shot down six Russian hypersonic missiles. They claimed the missiles had been launched out of a Russian plane and further claimed to have also stopped missiles launched from ships stationed in the Black Sea.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu disputed the claims.
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