Russian security services have arrested a former journalist in eastern Siberia on suspicion of high treason for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Ukrainian intelligence.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) announced the detention on Thursday in the city of Chita.
The 66-year-old suspect, who previously worked as a freelance correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), is accused of cooperating with Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
According to the FSB, the man used the Telegram app to pass details about a local print publication covering the war in Ukraine and information on a critical infrastructure site in the region.
Authorities claim the shared data helped Ukrainian forces carry out cyberattacks that briefly disrupted local government operations.
The FSB released video showing masked officers searching the suspect’s home and seizing 21 memory sticks and two mobile phones as evidence.
The agency warned that anyone assisting “the enemy” will face severe consequences, stating: “All persons who have consented to assist the enemy will be identified, brought to criminal responsibility and will receive the harsh punishment they deserve.”
The suspect’s name has not been publicly released by authorities. If convicted, he could face up to life imprisonment.
No immediate comments have emerged from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the man’s family, or Ukrainian officials.
The case forms part of Russia’s wider crackdown on perceived disloyalty and contacts with Ukrainian or Western-linked media amid the ongoing conflict.
