Yuri Borisov replaced following Luna-25 crash

The Kremlin has removed the head of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, in the wake of the country’s failed lunar mission—its first in nearly five decades. Yuri Borisov, who had led Roscosmos since July 2022, was dismissed from his position and replaced by deputy transport minister Dmitry Bakanov. The government did not specify a reason for Borisov’s removal.

Bakanov, before joining the Russian government, oversaw operations at Gonets, a company specializing in satellite communications.

Luna-25 failure damages Russia’s space ambitions

Russia, once a dominant force in space exploration since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space in 1961, suffered a major setback in August 2023 when its uncrewed Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon’s surface during a landing attempt.

Despite this failure, Borisov had set out ambitious plans for Russia’s space program, including launching a new orbital space station to replace the aging International Space Station (ISS). Last year, he approved a timeline to launch the first two modules of the station by 2027.

Growing tensions in space

As global competition in space intensifies, Russia has maintained that it aims to keep a continuous crewed presence in orbit while expanding scientific, economic, and security-focused projects. However, tensions between world powers have extended beyond Earth, with both Russia and the United States accusing each other of fueling a potential arms race in space. The last major nuclear arms control treaty between the two countries is set to expire in 2026.

Borisov, a former deputy defense minister, was previously appointed to Roscosmos by President Vladimir Putin. His successor, Bakanov, formerly led Gonets, a Russian satellite communications company that once collaborated with the global OneWeb project before Russia withdrew in 2018, citing national security concerns.