Former US consulate worker gets prison term in Russian court case

Russian court sends ex-US consulate staffer to prison for alleged information gathering. FSB accused him of collecting data about military activities and upcoming election-related matters

November 1 2024 , 08:15 AM  •  410 views

Former US consulate worker gets prison term in Russian court case

A court in far-east Russia handed down its decision for a previous US consulate employee today. Robert Shonov received almost 5-years prison term in Vladivostokʼs legal proceedings

The FSB (Russiaʼs main security agency) took Shonov into custody around 18 months ago; accusing him of working with another country. The charges included collecting info about several sensitive topics:

  • Military actions in Ukraine
  • Regional draft activities
  • Public reactions before the upcoming presidential vote

The security service stated that Shonov – who worked at US consulate in Vladivostok – gathered this data while the country prepares for its presidential election (which happens in just a few months)

The courts final ruling came as relations between Moscow and Washington remain at low point; with Shonovʼs case adding another layer to existing diplomatic issues between both nations