According to Interfax news agency, Russian police announced on December 22 that they had arrested Mr. Oleg Frolov, Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), on charges of embezzling 435 million Rubles (4.7 million USD) when purchasing equipment.
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| Russia arrests Deputy Director of Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos, Ukraine arrests senior defense official. (source: aerotime.aero) |
A statement from the Russian Investigative Committee said that Mr. Frolov and two other suspects have been prosecuted for "large-scale fraud".
According to the announcement, Mr. Frolov used his position to participate in a criminal conspiracy with two other accomplices to embezzle at least 435 million Rubles of public funds.
Roscosmos is seen as a source of national pride for Russians as it promotes the country's space programs.
The agency has helped other space agencies, including NASA, send astronauts to the space station. Over the years, Roscosmos has been plagued by financial difficulties and corruption scandals, as well as technical problems such as the Luna-25 probe losing control and crashing into the moon in August.
However, Russia is still planning to build its own space station to gradually replace the International Space Station (ISS) and restore the Moon program.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Ukrainian police also announced the arrest of a senior defense official suspected of embezzling millions of dollars in money spent on buying artillery shells from the military.
After searching the official’s residence, investigators found relevant evidence. Ukrainian authorities have not released the identity or details of the newly arrested defense official.
Ukraine has faced a series of corruption scandals in recent months, including several involving the Defense Ministry . Authorities are investigating overpriced purchases of food and military equipment, as well as the supply of substandard bulletproof vests.
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