Russian security authorities detained a Russian employee worked at the US Consulate in the city of Vladivostok on spying charges

In an announcement that is the latest in a series of diplomatic disputes that exacerbate pressure on the tense relations between Moscow and Washington, especially with regard to the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian authorities Monday accused a former employee of the US consulate of illegally conveying information about the conflict in Ukraine to US diplomats.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) also announced that it intends to interrogate US diplomats at the embassy in Moscow on the background of the case, which is contrary to diplomatic norms.

In the details, the FSB security service announced that it had charged Russian citizen Robert Shunov, who worked for more than 25 years at the US Consulate in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, on the grounds of “secret cooperation with a foreign country,” a charge that could lead to eight years in prison sentence.

Meanwhile, Russian news agencies published an undated video distributed by the FSB showing Shunov’s arrest on a snowy street.

It also published photos of Shunov making his confessions in front of the camera, and Shunov left the consulate in 2021 when Moscow imposed restrictions on its citizens working in foreign missions.

The State Department noted that Shunov has since worked as a private contractor collecting journalistic samples from publicly accessible Russian media in strict compliance with Russian laws and regulations.

In response to the accusations, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, “The allegations against Shunov are completely without merit,” and said the move highlights the increasingly repressive measures the Russian government is taking against its citizens.

“We strongly protest attempts by the Russian security services, reinforced by Russian state media, to intimidate and harass our employees,” Miller said.

The FSB stated that Shunov began passing information to US diplomats in September last year about the conflict and the mobilization that prompted many Russians of military age to flee Russia.

Shunov was entrusted with the task of gauging the general opposition mood in the Russian regions ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for next year.

According to the FSB, Shunov submitted reports to two diplomats in the political section of the US Embassy in Moscow, Jeffrey Sellin and David Bernstein.