Longtime Putin ally Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s notorious space chief, could be up for a new job overseeing eastern territories in Ukraine that Russian forces are seizing in the war, according to Meduza.
Rogozin, who heads up Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, could soon be appointed to serve as chief of staff or a presidential aide as well, Meduza reports, citing three sources close to the Kremlin and an acquaintance of Rogozin’s.
Rumors have long been circulating about Rogozin’s future in Russia, but his exact future role isn’t known at this time. Russia’s space chief, though, is known for hurling unhinged threats and comments left and right and has a habit of casually threatening nuclear war.
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When last month Russia’s space agency announced testing of its Sarmat, a ballistic missile that can carry nuclear warheads, Rogozin said he had “a present for NATO.”
When Lithuania announced that it was instituting a ban on transits of some Russian goods in its country to Russian exclave Kaliningrad due to sanctions, Rogozin suggested that Russia’s response might include simply not recognizing Lithuania’s sovereignty.
“Lithuania has shot itself at its own foot, casting doubt on its own state border,” he said at the time.
Rogozin has also threatened missile strikes against Bulgaria, Romania, and Montenegro—threats he said were meant for “cowardly Bulgarians, vindictive Romanians, and Montenegrins.”
The news of Rogozin’s potential new job comes just as the Biden administration issued a “Missile Threat Awareness” alert Thursday, warning that large gatherings in Ukraine might be treated as a target, including in the western regions of the country.
“The security situation throughout Ukraine continues to be violent and unpredictable due to ongoing military attacks by Russia,” the alert said. “Be aware that even if the incoming missile or drone is intercepted, falling debris represent a significant risk.”
NASA has even come out to criticize Roscosmos and Rogozin. When Russian cosmonauts took a picture on the International Space Station with some anti-Ukraine flags, NASA accused Russia of “using the International Space Station for political purposes to support its war against Ukraine.”
This is “fundamentally inconsistent with the station’s primary function among the 15 international participating countries to advance science and develop technology for peaceful purposes,” NASA said in a statement.
