The deputy director of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Oleg Frolov, was placed in pre-trial detention this Friday as part of a case involving the embezzlement of more than 4.3 million euros in this sector that has seen several crises.
Frolov and two other people are accused of “large-scale fraud” worth 435 million rubles, Russia’s Investigative Committee, responsible for the main criminal investigations, said in a statement.
The deputy director, “using his official position, he took part in a criminal conspiracy with two other co-conspirators. During the execution of the contract, they stole budgetary resources for the purchase of equipment”he added.
Oleg Frolov was in pre-trial detention awaiting trial, the same source said.
Russia’s space sector, traditionally the country’s pride, has suffered for years from funding problems, corruption scandals and embarrassing failures, such as the loss of the lunar probe Luna-25 in August.
However, these difficulties have not detracted from the ambitions of Moscow, which ultimately wants to build its own space station on the International Space Station (ISS) and resume lunar missions.
Source: DN
