Russian activist arrested in Poland admits acting as FSB spy
Illustrative photo: A Russian opposition activist arrested in Poland (Getty Images)
A Russian opposition activist arrested in Poland admitted to working as a secret agent for Russia's FSB and providing information on other opposition figures, The Guardian reports.
30-year-old Igor Rogov was linked to various opposition movements in Russia.
In 2021, he left Russia with his wife, Irina Rogova. In 2022, the couple obtained visas to Poland and arrived there a few days after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They settled in the city of Sosnowiec.
Last summer, Polish authorities arrested Rogova on suspicion of involvement with a package containing components of an explosive device. Although he did not receive the package, he admitted agreeing to accept it "as a favor to a friend." A Ukrainian woman was temporarily detained with him but later released.
Afterward, his wife was also arrested. The couple was charged with cooperating with the FSB to collect and transmit information about Russian opposition activists.
The charges
According to the indictment, Rogov admitted that several years ago, while still in Russia, he was coerced into working with the FSB. He was tasked with infiltrating a local opposition group. He was given a one-time-use phone and SIM cards to communicate with his handler and later held in-person meetings in a "safe apartment" near the regional FSB office.
"At that time, he also began to receive money in exchange for cooperation," The Guardian reports
Recruitment of Rogov and his wife
Rogov told his wife about his recruitment, and she confirmed that he "probably received money for this, because he was not working at the time, but he had money."
Once in Poland, he asked her to help deliver an encrypted USB drive to the handlers. The drive contained reports on Russian activists and other individuals in Poland who might interest Russian intelligence. He instructed her to send it to Russia, hiding it among souvenirs, and provided the delivery address.
The trial of the couple is scheduled to begin next month.
Russian spies across European countries
In October 2022, Norwegian police detained a Russian spy working under a false identity at the University of Tromsø. Investigators found that the suspect used forged documents under the name of a Brazilian citizen, although he was an agent of Russian intelligence. The university rector did not rule out the presence of other Russian agents on campus.
There were also reports that Russia is attempting to recruit some asylum seekers in Finland as spies.
