内容摘要：Before the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia was thought to operate around nine A-50s. Before last Sunday, as many as three had been shot down or damaged in an earlier drone attack.

Before the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia was thought to operate around nine A-50s. Before last Sunday, as many as three had been shot down or damaged in an earlier drone attack.

The main investors were Boeing, BAE Systems and Roll-Royce. He feels they could have done more to give the wider investment community confidence in Reaction Engines.It would have avoided a lot of pain.

"My team had put heart and soul into the company and we had a good cry. "Did they really shed tears? "Absolutely, I had my tears at our final meeting where we joined hands and stood up. I said 'We still did great, take a bow."What lessons can we draw for other high-tech ventures? "You definitely have no choice but to be optimistic," says Mr Dissel.

The grim procedure of winding down the business took over as passwords and laptops were collected while servers were backed up in case "some future incarnation of the business can be preserved".The company had been going in various guises for 35 years. "We didn't want it to go to rust. I expect the administrator will look for a buyer for the intellectual property assets," Mr Dissel adds.

Other former employees also hold out for a phoenix rising from the ashes. But the Valley of Death looms large.

"Reaction Engines was playing at the very edge of what was possible. We were working for the fastest engines and highest temperatures. We bit off the hard job," says Mr Dissel.Germany's bomb disposal service was only able to begin the operation after all residents in the densely populated area were evacuated.

"If you refuse, we will escort you from your home - if necessary by force - along with the police," the authorities said.Residents were told if they refused to leave their homes after the evacuation began they could face expensive fines.

Some intensive care patients were helped out in ambulances from the Eduardus Hospital.Finding bombs from WW2 is not unusual in German cities such as Cologne and Berlin, but these bombs were particularly large.