Lieutenant General Oleg Frolov, deputy director of the Russian Space Agency, is one of Russia's most important missile experts, who led the development of two super-powers, Satan-2 and Avangard. However, just at the beginning of this month, he caused an uproar because he was suspected of a huge amount of **. This incident not only exposed the corruption at the top of the Russian space agency, but also gave people a deeper understanding of the secrets and crises of the "Satan-2" missile.
The Satan-2 missile, officially known as the RS-28 Sarmat, is an intercontinental strategic ballistic missile that is Russia's nuclear deterrent. It was improved on the basis of the Soviet-era R-36M "Satan" missile, known as the "Satan-2" missile. Its weight reached 208 tons, which is equivalent to 14 stories high, making it the heaviest missile in the world. It has a range of more than 10,000 kilometers and can carry 10 to 15 nuclear warheads, each with a yield of 750 kilotons, which is 50 times that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. It can also carry a variety of decoys and jamming devices to break through enemy anti-missile systems. Allegedly, it can destroy the area of a country, or cause a global nuclear winter.
The development of the Satan-2 missile began in 2009 and was headed by Lieutenant General Frolov. It was first test-fired in 2017 and entered service in 2018, with 50 planned to be deployed by 2024. Russia** Putin has repeatedly boasted about the power of the "Satan-2" missile, calling it "invincible" and "uninterceptable". He also showed an animation of the Satan-2 missile in his 2018 State of the Union address, showing that it could attack targets in the United States.
However, just as the "Satan-2" missile was about to be fully deployed, Lieutenant General Frolov was suspected of ** and **. According to the accusations of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Lieutenant General Frolov used his authority to steal from the budget of the Russian space agency from 2014 to 2019 through false contracts 43.5 billion rubles (about 33.52 million yuan) for the purchase of equipment needed for the development of the "Satan-2" missile. The real value of the equipment was much lower than the contract **, and the difference was embezzled by Lieutenant General Frolov and his accomplices. If convicted, Lt. Gen. Frolov faces up to 10 years in prison.
Lieutenant General Frolov's accomplices included two people, one an unnamed person and the other Yevgeny Fomilchev, the head of research at the "Research Corporation for the Geophysical Universe". This company is a subsidiary of the Russian Space Agency and is responsible for providing the most advanced guidance system for the Satan-2 missile. Fomilchev has a close working relationship with Lieutenant General Frolov and is a close friend of former Russian space chief Rogozin. Rogozin was dismissed in 2015 for his lack of leadership, which led to a crisis in Russia's space industry. Some analysts believe that Lieutenant General Frolov's ** case may be related to Rogozin, or it may be the result of a political struggle.
Lieutenant General Frolov's case also involved another mysterious death. On the 18th of this month, Yevgeny Postregan, the chief accountant of a large Russian space satellite company, was found dead in the garage of his home, and the cause of death was asphyxiation. Postregan's company has close ties with the Russian Space Agency and the "Geophysical Universe Research Corporation", and is also one of the leading suppliers of the "Satan-2" missile. At the moment, the cause of Postregan's death is still under criminal investigation, and it is not clear whether it is related to the ** case of Lieutenant General Frolov. It is worth noting that this company has also been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union for its involvement in Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.
The case of Lieutenant General Frolov not only unveiled the shady curtain of the "Satan-2" missile, but also brought a huge crisis to the Russian space industry. On the one hand, this case has exposed corruption at the top of the Russian space agency and damaged the image and credibility of the Russian space industry. On the other hand, this case may also affect the development and deployment process of the "Satan-2" missile, weakening Russia's nuclear deterrent capability. In addition, this case may also trigger widespread concern and concern in the international community, exacerbating the confrontation and tension between Russia and Western countries.
However, from another point of view, Lieutenant General Frolov's ** case may also be an opportunity for Russia's space industry. On the one hand, this case can prompt the Russian Space Agency to carry out deep reflection and rectification, strengthen internal supervision and management, and improve the efficiency and quality of its work. On the other hand, this case can also stimulate the Russian space agency's innovation and enterprising, accelerate the refinement and optimization of the "Satan-2" missile, and enhance its performance and reliability. More importantly, this case can also promote cooperation and exchanges between the Russian Space Agency and other countries and organizations, seek more resources and opportunities, and jointly promote the development and progress of the space industry.
In short, the ** case of Lieutenant General Frolov is an event that shocked the world, it revealed the corruption problem at the top of the Russian space agency, and also gave people a deeper understanding of the secrets and crises of the "Satan-2" missile. The impact of this event on the Russian space industry is far-reaching, with both challenges and opportunities. How the Russian space agency responds to this crisis will determine its future direction and fate. We expect that the Russian Space Agency will learn from it, improve its work, create more achievements, and make a greater contribution to human space exploration.