The announcement marks the latest development in a sequence of diplomatic disagreements that have intensified the strain on relations between Moscow and Washington, particularly concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Russia leveled accusations on Monday against a former employee of the US consulate in the Far East, alleging that this individual unlawfully transmitted information about the Ukraine conflict to American diplomats, an assertion that Washington had previously characterized as routine practice.
The Russian Security Service (FSB) also disclosed its intention to interview two US diplomats stationed at the Moscow embassy in relation to this case, which breaks away from established diplomatic protocols.
The FSB formally charged a Russian citizen identified as Robert Shonov with “cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign state.” If found guilty, this charge carries a potential prison term of up to eight years.
Russian media outlets released footage that the FSB had distributed, showing Shonov’s apprehension on a snow-covered street. Additionally, images of Shonov providing testimony on camera were published.
According to the FSB, Shonov initiated the sharing of information with American diplomats in September of the previous year regarding the conflict and mobilization in Ukraine, a move that met with disapproval in Russia and resulted in a departure of military-aged men.
The FSB also revealed that Shonov had been assigned the task of gauging sentiments of protest in various regions of Russia leading up to the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for the following year.
The two US diplomats implicated in the case were identified as Jeffrey Silin and David Bernstein, both associated with the political department at the US embassy in Moscow. Russian media circulated footage of these diplomats, accompanied by summons dated August 11, requesting their presence for questioning on August 23.
Shonov had worked for over 25 years at the US consulate in Vladivostok, a city in the Far East, until 2021. Following Moscow’s imposition of restrictions on local personnel employed by foreign missions, his situation changed.
The US State Department, in May, indicated that Shonov transitioned to working as an independent contractor, collating information from publicly accessible Russian media in accordance with Russia’s legal framework and regulations.
Source: with agencies