A Russian-born Swedish citizen has been charged with accumulating data for Russia’s army intelligence service GRU for nearly a decade
FILE- Two unidentified individuals are seen approaching a home the place the Swedish Safety Service allegedly arrested two individuals on suspicions of espionage in a predawn operation in Stockholm, Tuesday, Nov. 22 2022. A Russian-born Swedish citizen, aged 60, was Monday, Aug. 28, 2023 charged with accumulating data for the Russian army intelligence service GRU for nearly a decade.Sergey Skvortsov was arrested in November collectively along with his spouse in a predawn operation in Nacka, outdoors Stockholm. (Fredrik Sandberg/TT Information Company by way of AP, File)
The Related Press
STOCKHOLM — A Russian-born Swedish citizen was charged Monday with accumulating data for the Russian army intelligence service GRU for nearly a decade.
Sweden’s Prosecution Authority stated Sergey Skvortsov, 60, was accused of “gross unlawful intelligence actions in opposition to Sweden and in opposition to a international energy.”
Skvortsov was arrested in November collectively along with his spouse in a predawn operation in Nacka, outdoors Stockholm. Swedish media reported that elite police rappelled from two Black Hawk helicopters to arrest the couple.
Skvortsov has been in custody since his arrest and denies any wrongdoing, based on his protection lawyer, Ulrika Borg. His spouse was launched with out cost following an investigation by Sweden’s safety company.
In line with the cost sheet, obtained by The Related Press, Skvortsov from July 1, 2014, to November 22, “secretly and/or with the usage of fraudulent means performed actions for the Russian state with the intention of buying details about situations whose disclosure to a international energy might endanger Sweden’s safety.”
Prosecutors stated Skvortsov used his import-export enterprise to illicitly get hold of know-how and hand it over to the Russian army intelligence service GRU, prosecutors stated.
“The enterprise additional consisted of buying knowledge within the type of details about and the acquisition of assorted objects that the Russian state and the armed forces — attributable to export laws and sanctions — weren’t capable of procure on the open market.”
Swedish broadcaster SVT stated Skvortsov had lived in Sweden for 25 years and obtained Swedish citizenship in 2012.
The trial is to begin Sept. 4. A particular FBI agent is listed among the many witnesses “to substantiate that Sergey Skvortsov’s actions might have endangered the safety of the US” and that his actions included “dealings with varied American corporations,” the cost sheet stated.