Russia jails man for 23 years for spying for Poland

LONDON, Aug 14 - A Russian man has been convicted by a Moscow court of spying for Poland and sentenced to 23 years in a penal colony, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Friday.

Espionage cases have become increasingly common in Russia since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, with courts frequently publicising verdicts while disclosing few details. Trials are conducted behind closed doors on national security grounds.

According to the FSB, the man, identified as Georgy Pirogov, supplied Poland with information on advanced Russian weapons and missile systems used in the war in Ukraine.

The FSB said Pirogov left Russia after the outbreak of the war and contacted Polish intelligence in April 2022.

It said he was subsequently tasked with collecting and passing on classified information and, through his contacts in Russia's defence industry, obtaining personal data on individuals with access to state secrets with a view to recruiting them.

A day earlier Poland arrested a Russian man it said had been hired by Moscow to kill a Ukrainian-American citizen in Warsaw. REUTERS