The five scientists who died earlier this month in a nuclear explosion were working on the "most advanced and unmatched technical weaponry," Russian President Vladimir Putin told the widows of the families, reports The Daily Mail.
"They led a very difficult, responsible and critical direction, we are talking about the most advanced and unmatched technical ideas and solutions," he said.
Russia has tried to keep the details of the explosion hidden, though information has seeped out regarding the incident where seven people died.
The August accident was "linked to the development of weapons which we had to begin creating as one of the tit-for-tat measures in the wake of the United States' withdrawal from the Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty,” according to a Russian official.
President Donald Trump has suggested the explosion occurred while the Russian military was testing a new type of cruise missile design that uses nuclear propulsion.
The explosion released contaminants, including a spike in radiation levels.
Putin made his comments Thursday when he awarded the deceased employees of Russia’s state nuclear company with the Order of Courage.
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