from Russia Insider:

Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, the FSB, conducted a raid of two hypersonic weapons laboratories on Friday after it was discovered that top secret files were leaked to Western intelligence, according to Russian newspaper Kommersant.

FSB operatives raided the employee quarters of the TSNIIMASH (the Central Research Institute of Machine Building) and the URSC (United Rocket and Space Corporation) – both of which are a part of Russian Space Agency Roscosmos and are involved in the development of the country’s hypersonic weapons program.

Specifically targeted in the raid was Dmitry Paison, the head of the URSC’s research facility whose office was separately searched as part of the raid.

A source familiar with the FSB investigation described the investigation as “unprecedented,” while revealing to Kommersantthat “it was established that the leak came from TSNIIMASH employees who were in touch with Paison.” The source added that the FSB won’t go easy on the perpetrator.

“Many heads will roll, it won’t be limited to people being dismissed,” added the source. Following the raid, a Roscosmos spokesman confirmed that the searches took place, adding that the head of the corporation, Dmitry Rogozin, instructed “our security division to offer maximum support to the investigation.”

As we reported in May, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a conference with military officials that the country’s new array of hypersonic missiles along with the latest in nuclear technology will secure the country’s security for many decades.

Speaking in Sochi, Putin said the brand-new weapon systems unveiled this year will significantly expand Russia’s military capabilities and “ensure a strategic balance for decades” with the United States.

Putin used his state-of-the-nation speech in March to deliver a stern warning to Washington that Moscow possesses hypersonic weapons that can render NATO’s U.S.-led missile defense system completely “useless.”

Underwater drones, hypersonic warheads, balls of fire, “menacing” ICBMs – the peak of Putin speech at the state-of-the-nation address in March. (Source: Tom Parfitt) 

“Efforts to contain Russia have failed, face it,” Putin announced in a two-hour speech at his annual state of the nation address in Moscow, which included computer simulations of new weapons including hypersonic systems, intercontinental missiles, and underwater drones.

In May, CNBC validated Putin’s claim of a hypersonic weapon the U.S. is currently unable to defend against, which the report indicates will be ready for war by 2020, according to sources with vast knowledge of American intelligence reports, who added that Moscow successfully tested the hypersonic glide vehicle in 2016, which was configured to carry nuclear warheads. Sources said a third test was completed in October 2017 and resulted in a mishap seconds before obliterating its target.

The hypersonic glide vehicle, dubbed “Avangard” (also called ‘Objekt 4202′, Yu-71 and Yu-74), is fastened onto an intercontinental ballistic missile using scramjet engine technology. Once launched, the Avangard reaches speeds of Mach 20 with the capacity to carry both nuclear and conventional payloads.

Avangard video demonstration from Putin’s speech in March.

Most advanced ICBM #YARS outmaneuver the US missile defense using similar methods used in the Iskander pic.twitter.com/moE5zXSai5

— Plutonium General ☫ (@nukesn_missiles) 23 May 2016

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