article_snippet.sent: Claim was made by the commander of Russian Space CommandRussian Space Command.
article_snippet.sent: The claims were made by the commander of Russian Space Command, Oleg Maidanovich.
article_snippet.sent: The comments were made yesterday on ‘Space Day’, when Russia commemorated the first human spaceflight - Yuri Gagarin, on 12 April 1961.
article_snippet.sent: MailOnline has asked the Russian space agency (Roscosmos) and Space Command for further information on the claim.
article_snippet.sent: The comments were made yesterday on ‘Space Day’, when Russia commemorated the first human spaceflight - Yuri Gagarin (pictured), on 12 April 1961.
highlights_snippet.sent: Claim was made by the commander of Russian Space Command .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: Comments came on the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first spaceflight .