Grigory Klinishov, who was in his 90s, reportedly died by suicide in Moscow.
Russian nuclear physicist Grigory Klinishov, one of the creators of the Soviet Union’s first two-stage thermonuclear bomb, has been found dead in Moscow after apparently committing suicide, Russian state news agencies reported.
Klinishov, who was in his early 90s, reportedly died on June 17. A suicide note was found next to his body in an apartment in central Moscow, Russia’s TASS news agency reported on Wednesday.
According to Russian-language state media, an investigation has been opened into the death of Klinishov, who was born in 1930 and was among the creators of Russia’s RDS-37 – a thermonuclear bomb that was first tested in 1955, according to RIA Novosti news agency.
According to the Russian-language Mediazona news outlet, the yield from the RDS-37 was so strong when it was dropped from a Russian bomber at a test site that the shockwave broke windows within a 240km (149 mi) radius of the explosion’s epicenter. Casualties were also reported from test explosions that caused structures to collapse, including a small child who died in a small town about 75 kilometers (47 mi) away.
According to Russian-language media reports, Klinishov helped develop a variety of new-generation thermonuclear bombs, also known as hydrogen bombs or H-bombs.
Russian nuclear physicist Grigory Klinishov, who helped develop the USSR’s first two-stage hydrogen bomb, the RDS-37, reportedly killed himself today. At 92, he had apparently seen enough (or didn’t want to see what happened next). https://t.co/sg4DvDjdtv
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) June 21, 2023
News of Klinishov’s death comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday reiterated plans to strengthen his country’s nuclear forces, the Interfax news agency reported.
Putin said Russia’s new-generation Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile – code-named Satan by NATO allies – capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads, would soon be deployed on combat duty.
According to Interfax, Putin emphasized the importance of Russia’s “triad” of nuclear forces that can be launched from land, sea or air.
“The most important task here is the development of the nuclear triad, which is a key guarantee of Russia’s military security and global stability,” Putin said in a speech to new graduates of the military academy.
The first Sarmat launchers will be given combat duty “in the near future,” he added.
