Russian serviceman working in Crimea arrested for HIGH TREASON, accused of spying for Ukraine

30 Jul, 2020 17:54

By Jonny Tickle

A serviceman from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been arrested by the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of working for Ukrainian military intelligence.

If found guilty of high treason, the detained soldier could face between 12 to 20 years behind bars.

In a statement published online, the FSB announced that they had arrested a man in Sevastopol, the largest city on the Crimean Peninsula, who was collecting and transferring state secrets to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense. They did not name the accused, or give his rank. 

The serviceman’s arrest is the latest in a recent string of high treason arrests this summer.

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In June, the head of the police in the Russian city of Kursk was detained after being accused of passing secret information to the Ukrainian Security Service. Kursk is just a 90-minute drive away from the border between the two countries. 

On July 7, the FSB detained Ivan Safronov, a former journalist and current adviser to the head of the Russian Space Agency, on suspicion of passing secret information to the Czech Republic, a NATO member.

Crimea was re-absorbed by Russia in 2014, and has long been an important strategic region for the navy. From Crimean ports, Russian ships have quick access to the Mediterranean and the rest of the world.

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