MOSCOW — In a dramatic escalation of Russia’s crackdown on its scientific community, a Moscow court on Tuesday sentenced Alexander Shiplyuk, a leading hypersonic flight scientist, to 15 years in a maximum-security prison on charges of treason.
The conviction marks the latest in a series of treason cases involving Russian researchers amid heightened security concerns.
Shiplyuk, 57, was the director of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Siberia and had been a key figure in Russia’s hypersonic weapons program.
His arrest in 2022, along with two other scientists from the same institute, sent shockwaves through Russia’s scientific community, raising fears of a widespread purge of researchers involved in sensitive projects.
According to Mediazona, an independent Russian news website, Shiplyuk was accused of sharing classified materials at an international scientific conference in China in 2017.
However, Shiplyuk denied the charges, asserting that the information he presented was publicly available online. Despite his defense, the Moscow City Court found him guilty of treason and handed down the 15-year prison sentence.
Shiplyuk’s trial was conducted behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of the case, with prosecutors originally pushing for a 20-year sentence. Shiplyuk reportedly refused to accept a plea deal, which could have potentially reduced his sentence.
The sentencing follows the conviction of Shiplyuk’s colleague, Anatoly Maslov, who was also found guilty of treason in May and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Maslov was accused of similar charges related to the alleged disclosure of classified information.
Another scientist, Alexander Kuranov, who headed a research institute in St. Petersburg, received a seven-year sentence in April after testifying against Maslov. Kuranov’s cooperation with authorities was believed to have contributed to his comparatively lighter sentence.
The wave of arrests and convictions highlights Russia’s intensified focus on safeguarding its military secrets as tensions with the West continue to rise.
Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has significantly increased its prosecution of individuals accused of treason and espionage.
Many of these cases involve professionals from the scientific and defense sectors, leading to concerns about a chilling effect on academic research and international collaboration.
According to the BBC’s Russian service, Shiplyuk is one of at least 11 Russian scientists involved in hypersonic research who have been jailed or arrested since President Vladimir Putin’s 2018 announcement of a new generation of hypersonic weapons.
These weapons, which can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, have become a central element of Russia’s military strategy, leading to an intense focus on security and confidentiality.
Despite these security measures, critics argue that the Kremlin’s actions are stifling innovation and driving talented researchers away from critical fields.
The cases of Shiplyuk, Maslov, and others have sparked debate about the balance between national security and scientific progress in a country that has long prided itself on its technological achievements.
As Shiplyuk begins his 15-year sentence, the future of hypersonic research in Russia remains uncertain, with many fearing that the crackdown on scientists could hamper the country’s efforts to maintain its technological edge in the global arms race.
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