A Russian military engineer, seeking asylum in the United States, may end up trading crucial hypersonic missile secrets to the Western country. It comes as Russia is gearing up for the first-ever international hypersonic missile exercise, working hand in hand with China and South Africa.
Russian military bomber engineer who claims to have worked on the TU-160 White Swan or Blackjack, one of Russia’s most sophisticated strategic bombers, has promised to expose military secrets to the U.S. government.
Every now and then, people from various parts of the world seek asylum in other countries for their protection. But this time, the person who requested asylum in the US is none other than a military engineer in Russia. And this man might be able to provide the necessary information to step up the defense technology of the Western nation.
An unclassified Customs and Border Protection (CBP) report states that the man and his family arrived at the US-Mexico border in late December and requested asylum, according to a Yahoo News exclusive published on Tuesday.
The man seeking asylum says that he supported the campaign of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny against the Russian leader Vladimir Putin. And as such, he is now in the US due to fear of punishment for his involvement in the anti-Putin campaign.
However, it looks like his previous work in the Russian territory might be useful for the US.
“His past employment had included working from 2018 to 2021 in the making of a particular type of military airplane at the Tupolev aircraft production facility in the city of Kazan in west-central Russia,” as per Jan. 11 CBP report obtained by Yahoo News.
The aircraft, which is said to be the most sophisticated Russian strategic bomber, was also employed for tactical airstrikes during the conflict in Ukraine. The value of the information provided by the man, including specifics on the most recent construction program for an improved version of the aircraft.
TU-160 bomber advancement is already underway at the Tupolev facility, which was highlighted in the CBP report as a daily roundup of emerging trends or noteworthy events. “He described the aircraft type as ‘an attack jet’ and said it ‘was called White Swan-TU160, the largest military aircraft,'” further said the CBP report.
The release of the engineer’s name and employment history in an unclassified CBP report is unusual for an asylum seeker. However, if the information is confirmed to be true and the individual is deemed credible, he will be handed over to the FBI. While the man’s offer of military secrets may contribute to discussions over whether or not to grant him asylum, the U.S. government will make the final decision.