During the Cold War, the competition between the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, was extremely fierce, and the competition for scientific and technological talents became an important strategy for both sides. Due to the relatively backward material conditions of the Soviet Union at that time, some high-ranking experts chose to turn their backs on their homeland and turn to the arms of the United States, which is said to number several thousand.
And in this war without gunpowder, a top fighter expert named Grochenko changed the trajectory of his life because of a choice, and it also caused an international uproar.
Grochenko, who was born in a family of intellectuals, grew up in a good family, and was also smart and studious, received an education at a top university in the Soviet Union, and successfully entered the famous Sukhoi Design Bureau. He participated in the research and development of a number of major projects, accumulated a wealth of experience, and gradually grew into a senior fighter expert in the Soviet Union, mastering the secrets of the development of many cutting-edge weapons.
However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia's economy was in trouble, investment in scientific research was sharply reduced, and Grochenko's life was also in trouble, and the standard of living fell sharply.
You must know that before, its living treatment was not generally high, the state provided free housing, special cars to go out, free medical care, education and so on. And after that, when I go out to ride a bicycle, I have to be careful about three meals a day. In such a comparison, the gap is quite large. Grochenko, who was accustomed to a good life, felt that he was extremely down, and his heart began to waver.
At this time, United States spies took advantage of the situation and successfully countered the weapons expert, using high salaries and favorable living conditions as bait, and sold key data, including the Su-27 fighter.
After Grochenko defected to United States with his family, the United States gave him extremely high treatment, not only with an annual salary of one million dollars, but also with a luxury villa in Hawaii, a bulletproof car outside, and 8 professional bodyguards for 24-hour protection. However, the traitor's free life did not last long.
Russia was outraged by Grochenko's defection and decided to assassinate him as an example. Six years after his defection, Grochenko was assassinated one morning in 1999 on his way to work. At that time, he had just sat in a special bulletproof car, and on the way, suddenly the chassis of the sedan exploded, but after all, it was a bulletproof car, and this power was not very harmful.
Almost at the same time, more than 10 motorcyclists suddenly appeared around, all dressed in black, and their heads were also covered by helmets, so they couldn't see their faces clearly. The gang single-handedly wielded a miniature submachine gun and fired a firepower, killing all eight bodyguards.
Subsequently, two more motorcyclists appeared, and they used armor-piercing shells to shoot directly at the bulletproof vehicle, and after a fierce strafing fire, Grochenko was beaten into a sieve on the spot, and he died tragically on the street. After only 10 seconds, the motorcyclists were gone.
The incident sparked widespread concern and speculation. Although the United States accused Russia agents of doing it, Russia denied it. Whatever the truth, however, Grochenko's death was undoubtedly a wake-up call for Soviet experts who defected to the United States.
In the aftermath of this incident, other researchers who had defected from Russia to United States became aware of their dangerous situation. They quit their government jobs and chose to live in seclusion to avoid becoming their next target. And Grochenko's tragedy has also become a wake-up call, reminding every scientific and technological talent that while pursuing personal interests, he should not forget his loyalty and responsibility to the country and the nation.