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Two stories from 21 May 2024: treason and security
Summary
A retrospective on a Saint Petersburg sentence for a hypersonic missiles expert and a security and defence pact between Moldova and the EU.
What did the region's news look like on 21 May 2024? Two developments stood out, one in Russia and one in Moldova.
In Saint Petersburg, a court sentenced Anatoly Maslov, a 77-year-old expert on hypersonic missiles, to 14 years in prison for state treason.
The same day, Moldova became the first country outside the European Union to sign a security and defence pact with the bloc. Under the agreement, Moldova is to receive assistance in strengthening and managing its borders. The pact also covers cooperation on cybersecurity and efforts to combat disinformation.
The two events were unconnected, but both were reported on 21 May 2024. One concerned a prison term imposed on an elderly specialist in a sensitive weapons field. The other was a formal agreement tying Moldova more closely to the EU on security matters.
