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Roscosmos admits having sanctions-related problems, assures there will be no disruptions

We will work and ensure all federal launches due this year are carried out, the corporation’s Director General Dmitry Rogozin said

BLAGOVESHCHENSK, April 13. /TASS/. Despite having some problems caused by western sanctions, Russian state-run space corporation Roscosmos will carry out all scheduled launches of federal importance, the corporation’s Director General Dmitry Rogozin told Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"There are problems, there are many of them, but none of them is worse than what our colleagues are facing now. We will work and ensure all federal launches due this year are carried out," he said. "I think we'll manage."

According to the official, the agency was facing delays in the delivery of chips used in the space industry.

"However, there will be no disruptions. We will spend some time on reviewing our technical solutions," he added.

On February 24, US President Joe Biden said the sanctions imposed by Washington and its allies would hit the Russian high-tech sector. According to the head of state, the US will cut off more than half of high-tech imports to Russia, which, among other things, will negatively affect the country’s space program.

For its part the EU imposed sanctions on the space rocket center Progress. The European Space Agency later said the chances of launching the Russian-European Mars exploration mission ExoMars were very slim due to the anti-Russian sanctions over Ukraine. Also, the ESA said it was considering the possibility of using European rockets for orbiting satellites that according to original plans were to be launched by Russia’s Soyuz rockets. Germany has turned off its telescope installed on the space observatory Spektr-RG, which is a joint project with Russia. Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin said the Russian segment of the ISS was curtailing cooperation with German counterparts and would make the scheduled experiments on its own.

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