The leading specialist in hypersonic technology, 73-year old Alexander Kuranov has been arrested on suspicion of treason against the state. The head scientist on Vladimir Putin’s favorite headline-grabbing project was arrested by officers of the Russian internal security force the FSB or Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, a group argued to be the successor to the Soviet KGB. Kuranov is only the latest in a lengthy series of purges aimed at flushing out disloyalty in Putin’s government.
The general director and chief designer of the Scientific Research Enterprise of Hypersonic Systems (NIPGS) at the St Petersburg-based Hypersonic Systems Research Facility, is suspected of passing secret information to an as yet unidentified foreigner who he “had worked on for a long time, Interfax news agency cited an unnamed source as saying.” according to Reuters.
The Daily Mail reported that the unspecified foreigner is from a NATO country, they wrote, “An FSB source said: ‘During the operational-search activities in the capital, the FSB officers detained the general director of the NIPGS Alexander Kuranov. ‘Investigators plan to ask the court to ask for his arrest for two months.'” Under the Russian legal system, a suspect can be arrested and held while the investigation moves forward, prior to indictment.
According to Russian News Agency TASS, “The Lefortovo Court of Moscow has ruled to choose custody for a term of one month and 28 days, i.e. until October 9, 2021 as a measure of restraint for Kuranov suspected of committing a crime stipulated under Article 275 of Russia’s Criminal Code,” the court’s spokeswoman said.”
State treason is punishable by up to 20 years in a Federal Prison, tantamount to a death sentence for the septuagenarian.
Russia detains head of hypersonics research facility in treason case – TASS https://t.co/z7rBbACxI6 pic.twitter.com/WvKULYTG33
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 12, 2021
Arrested Cold Warrior Getting Soviet-Style Treatment Under Putin’s FSB
Based upon reports Interfax, Kuranov has been instrumental in Russian hypersonic research dating back to the Soviet-Era on the development of their Ajax hypersonic Aircraft. Interfax wrote,
“According to preliminary data, Kuranov, who has been engaged in hypersonic technologies for many years, gave a foreign citizen information of a closed nature about these scientific developments,” the agency’s interlocutor said.
Meanwhile, another source told the agency that Kuranov, in particular, was involved in the development of the Ajax hypersonic aircraft.
“This is still a Soviet-era development, which, however, has always remained in the field of interests of the scientist. In the 2000s, work on it continued,” he said.
According to the source, as part of the development, meetings were held and work was carried out with representatives of foreign states. “In particular, representatives of the United States and China showed interest,” the agency’s source said. However, he did not specify whether the detention of Kuranov was related to these developments.”
As Kuranov is likely discovering, some things never change. Especially when a KGB strongman is leading your country. (Maybe they should just bust out the Red Flags, change the lyrics of the national anthem back and call it good…) If the CIA was handling Kuranov, then it has all the hallmarks of the Biden-Harris regimes’ rampaging ineptitude all over it. It’s difficult to imagine the Israeli Mossad, British MI-5, or even Chinese Guoanbu being this sloppy.
