Vladimir Putin Jailed One of His Top Hypersonic Scientists for Treason Amid the Russian Leaders Growing Paranoia Surrounding Leaks: Report

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has allegedly jailed one of his top hypersonic scientists, Professor Anatoly Gubanov, for 12 years on charges of high treason, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Gubanov, the head of the secretive Aerodynamics of Aircraft and Rocket Department at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) in Moscow, is an expert in hypersonic aviation technology and high-speed missiles.

The arrest of Gubanov is the latest in a series of incidents involving Russian scientists being accused of treason.

In June, Valery Golubkin, a subordinate of Gubanov, was also sentenced to 12 years in jail on similar charges. Three other hypersonic missile scientists are currently facing trial.

According to the Daily Star, before his arrest, Gubanov had been given permission three times to share information on Russian research with the European Space Agency project Hexafly-INT. This project involved specialists from several countries, including Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Australia.

The material shared by Gubanov was thoroughly reviewed by three Russian commissions, none of which found any state secrets.

The case has raised concerns about the Putin regime's increasing paranoia toward scientific cooperation with foreign countries.

Many senior scientists fear that the threat of treason charges will discourage young researchers from pursuing international collaborations.

Gubanov comes from a family of scientists, with his father-in-law being a leading Soviet aviation designer. Two of his daughters and one son, who are physicists, also work at TsAGI.

Colleagues of Gubanov expressed their surprise at his arrest, noting that he was a respected figure among his students.

Interfax says the professor is suspected of passing “information consisting of state secrets abroad” or committing “other acts aimed against the security of Russia in the interests of a foreign state, organization or representatives.”

When he was held, colleagues told Interfax they were “surprised” by the arrest of a man “respected by his students."

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The professor is suspected of passing state secrets to a foreign state or organization or committing acts that threaten Russia's security in the interests of another country.

This move by the Putin regime is seen as evidence of its increasing paranoia and its tightening control over scientific cooperation.

Other prominent scientists have also faced similar allegations. Alexander Shiplyuk, the head of the Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Siberia, was held by the FSB counterintelligence agency on suspicion of treason. Professor Anatoly Maslov, a pioneer of hypersonic technologies, was also arrested.