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[INTERNATIONAL] · Russia, Poland · 13 sources

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Russia sentences Georgy Pirogov to 23 years for Polish espionage

A Moscow court has sentenced 37-year-old Georgy Pirogov to 23 years in a high-security penal colony for espionage on behalf of Polish intelligence. The verdict, announced by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), includes a fine of 800,000 rubles.

According to the FSB, Pirogov traveled to Poland in April 2022, where he established contact with Polish military intelligence. He is accused of using connections within the Russian defense industry to gather classified information regarding the production and deployment of advanced missile systems and weaponry used in the conflict in Ukraine. Additionally, Russian authorities claim Pirogov used cryptocurrency to fund the Ukrainian Armed Forces and organized the transport of ammunition from Poland to Ukraine.

While Russian state media presents these charges as treason, independent reports from outlets such as Meduza suggest a different narrative. These reports indicate that Pirogov may have been kidnapped by the FSB in Uzbekistan in July 2024 after losing contact with his family, raising questions about the circumstances of his detention and subsequent trial in Moscow.

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FSB · Federal Security Service · Georgy Pirogov · Moscow City Court · Poland · Russia

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