Anna Hartz
Scientific research often depends on international cooperation.
Researchers travel to conferences, publish studies abroad, and work with experts from other countries. In recent years, however, scientists in Russia have faced growing pressure as the government tightens control over sensitive fields linked to national security.
12 and a half years each
A court in the Russian region of Novosibirsk has sentenced two researchers who specialized in hypersonic technology to 12 and a half years in prison each, according to Ziare. The men were found guilty of treason.
The two scientists are Valery Zvegintsev and Vladislav Galkin. Zvegintsev worked at the Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Galkin was an associate professor at Tomsk Polytechnic University.
Zvegintsev was arrested in April 2023. Galkin was detained later the same year. Russian authorities have not released full details about the accusations. The Novosibirsk Regional Court confirmed a verdict in a treason case but did not publicly identify the defendants.
After Zvegintsev’s arrest, colleagues said the case was connected to his international academic work. They pointed to his participation in research projects, conferences outside Russia, and articles published in scientific journals.
A wider trend
The institute where he worked later published an open letter in his support. Staff members argued that his research had gone through official reviews and did not contain classified information.
According to reports from the state news agency TASS, the investigation may have been linked to an article about gas dynamics published in an Iranian scientific journal.
The case has drawn attention because it reflects a wider trend affecting Russia’s scientific community. Several researchers working in advanced technology fields have faced prosecution in recent years.
One similar case involved Aleksander Shiplyuk, the former director of the same institute. In September 2024, he was sentenced to 15 years in a maximum security prison on comparable treason charges.
The growing number of cases has created concern among scientists inside Russia. Some fear that international cooperation and open scientific exchange are becoming increasingly risky, especially in areas connected to defense technology and aerospace research.
