University professor jailed in Estonia for spying for Russian military intelligence
A university professor in Estonia was sentenced to six years and three months in prison after being found guilty of spying for Russian military intelligence. Viacheslav Morozov, a Russian citizen who taught at Estonia’s most prestigious university, was accused of undermining the security of the Baltic state for the 14 years he operated in the country. Estonian officials believe Moscow is behind a campaign of sabotage, electronic warfare, and information gathering in Estonia.
The court found that Morozov collected information about Estonia’s defense and security policy, as well as social integration and political issues in the country. Political tensions between Russia and Estonia have been ongoing since Estonia regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The Baltic state shares a border with Russia and has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine.
Estonian officials revealed that Morozov was recruited by Russian military intelligence in the early 1990s while studying in St. Petersburg. He began actively working for the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence arm, in 2010 after moving to Estonia. Morozov used his position as a professor at the University of Tartu to access conferences and key people in order to gather information.
The spy chief of Estonia warned against travel to Russia, stating that Russian spy services are aggressively trying to recruit Estonians for espionage. The spying activities by Russia in Estonia are seen as part of a broader campaign of interference and attacks across Europe. This year alone, 13 people have been arrested in Estonia over attacks allegedly organized by Russian military intelligence.
Source
Photo credit apnews.com