There is nothing apolitical about the scientists behind Russian weapons
A lunchtime drone attack on the head office of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv's downtown on Sept. 28, 2026, might have come as a shock to scientists based outside the country. Unfortunately, for Ukrainian scientists, those who can be seen climbing down the ladders from the burning building, such attacks are part of the daily routine. As documented in the UNESCO report from 2024,…
A lunchtime drone attack on Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv occurred on September 28, 2026, likely shocking scientists outside the country. However, for Ukrainian scientists, such attacks have become a daily reality. According to a 2024 UNESCO report, more than a third of Ukraine's research infrastructure has been damaged by Russian attacks, forcing institutions to relocate multiple times to safer areas under Ukrainian control.
Some, like the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, have even been taken over by the Russian scientific community. Russian scientists, paradoxically, are also depicted as victims due to sanctions and international isolation. The Russian scientific establishment benefits greatly from seizing Ukrainian research facilities, while simultaneously appropriating Ukrainian scientific heritage.
This includes portraying Ukrainian Nobel laureates and pioneers as Russian scientists, symbolically incorporating their birthplaces into an imagined Russian scientific and cultural geography. Ukraine's contribution to global scientific progress is marginalized in this narrative, and the victimization of Ukrainian scientists obscures the Russian scientific community's crucial role in supporting the war effort.
This includes direct involvement in weapons research, technology transfer, personnel training, and military-industrial collaboration. Despite international sanctions, Russian scientists continue to be prominently featured in global organizations, lending credibility to their self-presentation as an "apolitical" institution.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
