A Russian scientist who worked on rocket engines has been sentenced to a heavy prison term for treason. The new spy case is believed to be linked to the Chinese Communist Party, despite the close relations between Russia and China and the intention of Russian officials to keep the case low profile.
Key academic rocket expert sentenced to 20 years in prison with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party
The Moscow City Court sentenced scientist Vorobyev to 20 years in prison and a 1 million ruble fine on April 22, the court said in an April 23 release. Vorobyev was convicted of treason, illegal export and smuggling of materials, technologies, technical information, equipment that could be used to manufacture weapons of mass destruction, and providing services in this regard, among other crimes.
Vorobyev is a lecturer at the Moscow Aviation Institute’s Rocket Engine Department. His areas of expertise include the design and measurement of liquid-fuel rocket engines, the general theory of aviation and rocket engines, etc. Vorobyev has published many academic papers in this field over the last 10 years.
Moscow Aviation Academy is one of the top schools and research institutions in the field of aviation and aerospace in Russia. This famous Russian institution of higher learning sent many of its teachers to the Communist Party of China in the 1950s to help set up the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The academy also helped the Indian aviation industry in the 60s and 70s.
Vorobyov was indicted and arrested two years ago. There is very little public information about the case, and Russian authorities have deliberately kept it secret while maintaining a low profile. The influential Russian business radio station said it was possible to speculate from the court’s ruling that the case involved Vorobyev’s provision of scientific and technical information to the Chinese Communist Party. Vorobyov’s defense attorney neither affirmed nor denied this, stressing only that Vorobyov had pleaded not guilty and would appeal.
The court’s verdict, as reported in the press, mentions that Vorobyev has very extensive and solid ties with the CCP. In addition, Vorobyev was interested in finding the border line between Russia and China so that he could leave Russia and enter Chinese settlements.
Chinese Communist Party Interested in Russian Rocket Engines to Upgrade Strategic Nuclear Weapons
China’s aviation and aerospace industries are developing rapidly. However, it is seriously lagging behind in the field of engines, especially aircraft engines. Russia is currently very concerned about China’s aerospace industry, and many commentators fear that Russia may become a little brother of the Chinese Communist Party in future aerospace cooperation between the two countries. Russia is also paying close attention to the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing efforts to promote and update the development of its strategic nuclear forces.
According to armament analyst Murakhovsky, the Chinese Communist Party could apply many of its technologies in the field of launch vehicles to strategic intercontinental missiles.
Murakhovsky: “Launch vehicle engines can be used in intercontinental ballistic missiles. In the Soviet era, rocket engines were improved and used in ICBMs.”
Russian media reported several years ago that the Chinese Communist Party was interested in purchasing Russia’s famous RD-180 rocket engine and even a production license to use it in a super-heavy launch vehicle developed by the Communist Party, but nothing has since been done about it. the RD-180’s thrust is thought to be far more powerful than the rocket engine developed by the Communist Party based on the Soviet RD-120.
Russia delivered the last batch of RD-180 rocket engines to the United States a few days ago. The U.S. Cosmos launch vehicle has used RD-180 engines for more than 20 years. But after the 2014 Ukraine crisis caused U.S. sanctions against Russia, the U.S. market closed its doors to the RD-180, and Russia’s rocket engines thus needed to find new markets. According to Murakhovsky, the technology of the RD-180 can actually be used in intercontinental strategic missiles.
Long sentences reflect serious cases of China-related espionage frequently
The 20-year sentence for the rocket engine expert Vorobyov is extremely rare among the cases of espionage by scientists associated with the Chinese Communist Party and other countries that have been announced in Russia in recent years. It is therefore clear how serious Russian courts consider Vorobyev’s case to be.
Although the death penalty has not been officially abolished in Russia, it has been virtually eliminated since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the maximum sentence handed down by judges today is usually life imprisonment, with 20 years in prison considered one of the most severe sentences after life imprisonment.
While Russian scientists have also been arrested and sentenced for providing information to other countries, cases of espionage by scientists associated with the Communist Party have been frequent and publicly reported.
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