FSB affirm detention of spy for Ukraine from EU state in Russia

(MENAFN) Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a Romanian citizen in Sochi, accusing him of espionage on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence. According to a statement released on Friday, the man, in his early 20s, allegedly gathered and passed on classified information about the location of Russian air defense systems during the summer of 2024.

The FSB claims the Romanian was recruited by Ukrainian special services, who promised him safe extraction from Russia and a chance to join the Ukrainian military. The suspect reportedly admitted to providing details about an air defense unit he observed while traveling between Sochi and Adler, later pinpointing the location on a map and sending it to a Ukrainian intelligence officer identified as "Vladimir."

A criminal case has been opened by the FSB’s investigative division in the Krasnodar Region. If found guilty, the suspect could face up to 20 years in prison.

This incident follows a series of thwarted attacks allegedly orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence. Earlier this week, the FSB reported it had foiled a planned drone strike on a petrochemical site in Nizhny Novgorod, linking the suspects to an outlawed international terrorist group. Additionally, a Belarusian national was recently arrested in Novorossiysk for allegedly plotting an attack on a military-related facility, also under orders from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).

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