RUSSIA COURT ORDERS ARREST OF AIRCRAFT SCIENTIST ON TREASON RAPS

A Russian court has ordered the arrest of a physicist specializing in hypersonic aircraft on suspicion of high treason, Radio Free Europe (RFE) and Radio Liberty (RL) reported. RFE and RL are news outlets operated by the US government.

The physicist, Anatoly Gubanov, took part in international conferences and projects involving hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft, Interfax news agency reported on December 3, citing unnamed sources. "According to the investigation, Gubanov handed over secret aviation development data abroad," TASS news agency reported, citing another source.

The closed-door court ordered Gubanov to be held in detention until February. The scientist is said to be a lecturer at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Russia views hypersonic aircraft and missiles as providing a strategically important military advantage.

In October, the Russian military said it had successfully test-launched a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile that flew more than eight times the speed of sound, in what President Vladimir Putin hailed as a "big event" for the country, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) also reported.