The development engineer of the Russian hypersonic missiles was sentenced to seven years in prison

A leading Russian scientist who developed hypersonic technologies was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of treason, said the spokesperson of the Saint Petersburg judiciary. Alexander Kuranov, head of a state research institute in St. Petersburg who oversaw the Soviet hypersonic missile program, was arrested in 2021 at the age of 73. The investigators accused Kuranov of working with and passing secrets related to scientific developments to foreigners.

The St. Petersburg city court found 76-year-old Kuranov guilty of treason and sentenced him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment, it said. Daria Lebegyeva, head of the city’s judicial press service. In addition, a fine of 100,000 rubles (394,000 forints) was imposed on him, added Lebegyeva, who also said that the case was discussed behind closed doors, reports the Moscow Times.