Putin sacks space agency chief after setbacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin sacked the head of the Roscosmos space agency on Thursday, the Kremlin said, citing the need to "develop" the corporation after suffering years of setbacks.

Yuri Borisov had been in the role since July 2022, presiding over the crash landing of the Luna-25 probe in August 2023, Moscow's first lunar lander mission in almost 50 years. He has been replaced with Dmitry Bakanov, the deputy transport minister and former head of a satellite company, the Kremlin said. Putin's spokesman said the move was part of a "rotation", adding: "The corporation needs to dynamically develop."