The FSS took interest in penetration of the bloggers into a classified company's territory.
Leadership of the manufacturer of rocket engines say they do not have the funds to repair the fence.
From last Monday all those involved in rocket and space topics are retelling each other the shocking story of illegal penetration into the territory of NGO "Energomash" in Khimki. Blogger nicknamed Lana Sator published in her "Live Journal" details with a photo report of her adventures at the testing complex objects owned by NGO "Energomash", where rocket engines undergo test firings.
Energomash produces liquid rocket engines for both civil rockets (backing into history from the early Soviet models - the R-1 and ending an emerging launch vehicle Angara), and for the military - they are put on such missiles as the R-36M, better known by its NATO alias SS-18 "Satan" as well as for its modifications. Therefore, Energomash has the status of special custodial company with a great level of secrecy associated with it.
Meanwhile, bloggers, according to their own comments to a photo report, infiltrated the enterprise seamlessly - through a section of perimeter where there was no fence. Also they did notice no guards, and no working alarms. Judging by the photo report, at the grounds of the test facility not a single door was even closed - the visitors have infiltrated all of their facilities, including a central control room, where the operator issues the command to run the engine, and to testing workplaces. In the comments, they say that they have been coming into the territory of the complex for five nights in a row and never met a single person, while watchdogs released to guard the premises were frightened on sight of visitors and hid.
The author of the photo report did not answer our E-mails with questions we sent her. NGO Energomash do not officially commented on the situation. The fact of the penetration of the territory of the test facility was confirmed only in the management of RSC "Energia" (from October 2010 RSC "Energia" is a management company for NPO "Energomash").
We are aware of intrusions. Unfortunately, such incidents occurred, said "Izvestia" senior vice president of RSC "Energia" Vladimir Osmolovsky. We work with the the company for just one year yet, and we just inherited this fence full of holes. Therefore, the entire perimeter had not yet been repaired. We are very sorry about what's happened, but to close the fence around, we need money, and the company now is not too well-off financially.
In "Roskosmos" nobody comments on the situation. Unofficially, a senior space agency told "Izvestia", what happened made a "strong impression" on the leadership, and that nobody in the office of Roscosmos can remember similar cases: "It's like Rust's flight with landing on the Red Square in 1987 - reveals a complete failure to guard anything."
According to a source in Roskosmos, the case is already investigated by the Federal Security Service in Moscow and Moscow region - the management of Energomash has already been called up there. And representatives of the 4th Prosector's Office for Supervision over Implementation of Laws on the Most Sensitive Sites of Moscow Region have visited the scene of the allegedly infiltrated test facility. But in the meantime law enforcement agencies are not very talkative: by the time of delivery of this article, we have not received any response for the FSS PR Center to our official inquiry, which was sent on 27 December in 11.20.
From previous visits to the NGO Energomash journalists of "Izvestia" gathered an impression that the company is protected vigorously. Passport number, license plane number, serial ids of cameras and camcorders are to be sent in advance through a letter with the official letterhead, signed by the chief editor. While in the assembly shop, a security agent keeps track what you are taking shots of. For example, last summer's "Izvestiya" was not allowed to take video recording of an interview with the enterprise's director in the usual meeting room, where a mode of operation with a state secret was fully complied with.
"This another example of the business leaders' slackitude is falling into a threatening pattern," Andrei Lugovoy, a member of State Duma Committee for security and corruption countering said. Those who have walked into the secret facility can only be brought to an administrative fine. But if because of their visit, a leak of classified information has taken place, the company's management should be put behind bars. The issue of ensuring security of the facilities of this level should be addressed at government level. We need to make sure that modern means of remote tracking, which signal penetration at a distance of 100 m, motion sensors, or special low-cost detectors, which are installed in the ground, must be used for perimeter protection."
Our source in Roskosmos believes that the criminal case against officials of NGOs "Energomash" is unlikely to be opened, because there is no defined affected party yet. "Although, there's much annoyance around this. By and large, now we need to take these yougsters and go with them along these routes with a dog and a specialist - to see whether or not anything is planted anywhere or damaged."
Vladimir Osmolovskiy assured "Izvestia", that despite not brilliant financial position of the NGO Energomash measures to protect the perimeter in the near future will be taken.
