Throwing baby with bathwater: After Kinzhal fails to impress, Russia punishing scientists for failures in Ukraine

Three prominent hypersonic scientists, Anatoly Maslov, Alexander Shiplyuk, and Valery Zvegintsev, who have worked extensively on Russia’s hypersonic weapons, have been apprehended on suspicion of high treason. This comes after Ukraine asserted that it had successfully taken down a series of supposedly ‘undefeatable’ missiles. The arrests have triggered apprehension within Russia’s scientific community. Colleagues of the detained individuals released an open letter expressing their innocence and highlighting the potential risks these prosecutions pose to Russian science. They affirmed that they know each scientist as a patriot and an honorable individual who would not be capable of the alleged actions. The situation has reportedly forced other scientists to not just worry about their colleagues but also about their own work with the Russian Army and how to proceed with it. Vladimir Putin has consistently boasted about Russia’s dominance in hypersonic missiles and proudly introduced the ‘Kinzhal’ rockets in 2018, claiming they were impervious to any existing or future defense systems. However, this claim was met with fresh embarrassment when Ukraine declared that it had destroyed six of these rockets in a single night. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the accusations against the scientists are ‘serious’. They were contributors to a book chapter titled ‘Hypersonic Short-Duration Facilities for Aerodynamic Research at ITAM, Russia’. Russian Scientists fear The open letter Russian scientists wrote ahead of the arrests, also brought attention to the case of Dmitry Kolker, a Siberian scientist who was arrested last year on suspicion of state treason, despite suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer. Tragically, the laser specialist passed away just two days after being flown to Moscow. The letter emphasized that such incidents have a chilling effect on young Russian scientists. According to the letter, the repercussions of these cases are already evident, as the most talented students decline opportunities to work with them, and the best young employees are leaving the field of science. Moreover, several vital research areas crucial for advancing future aerospace technology are being forced to shut down due to employees’ fear of engaging in such research. When questioned about the letter, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged its existence but assured that Russian security services are handling the matter seriously. He stated that these are grave accusations being investigated by the authorities. Did Ukraine really shot Kinzhals down? Yurii Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian air force, declared that their air defenses, bolstered by systems supplied by Western nations, successfully thwarted a forceful Russian attack. He revealed that the onslaught included six Kinzhal aero-ballistic hypersonic missiles, marking the highest number fired in a single attack during the ongoing conflict. However, all of these missiles were intercepted and shot down. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly lauded the Kinzhal missiles as a crucial strategic advantage and one of the most advanced weapons in Russia’s arsenal. Their hypersonic speed and manoeuvrability make them difficult to detect and intercept. If Ukraine’s assertion of successfully shooting down six missiles on Tuesday is verified, it would deliver yet another setback to Putin’s military endeavors and demonstrate the growing efficacy of Ukraine’s air defense systems. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu disputed the Ukrainian claims, stating to the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency, “We have not launched as many Kinzhals as they allege to shoot down every time with their statements.” Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.