Russian spy sentenced in Netherlands for leaking microchip tech
Photo: Russian sentenced in the Netherlands for leaking microchip technology (Getty Images)
A court in Rotterdam has sentenced 43-year-old Herman Aksyonov to three years in prison on charges of violating EU sanctions and stealing technical information he passed to Russian intelligence, Bloomberg reports.
According to the media outlet, between 2015 and 2024, the Russian worked for Dutch semiconductor companies including ASML and NXP Semiconductors.
What Aksyonov is accused of
Aksyonov provided "technical assistance" to Russia by transferring files containing information on the configuration of production lines used to manufacture microchips.
"It can contribute to strengthening that country's military or strategic capabilities, which has consequences for Ukraine and indirectly impacts international security and stability," the court ruling states.
Aksyonov copied the files from ASML and NXP servers onto a USB drive and a hard disk, which he intended to hand over to an FSB officer in Moscow. Prosecutors had requested a four-year sentence, but the court reduced it by one year due to lack of evidence that Aksyonov had received payment for his actions.
Violation of EU sanctions
Aksyonov also violated EU sanctions imposed in 2014 following Russia's annexation of Crimea and expanded after the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions prohibit providing technical assistance or transferring sensitive technology to Russia that could be used in weapons production, the court noted.
Earlier, a London court sentenced the Head of a Russian spy network operating in the UK to nearly 11 years in prison.
The convicted man, 47-year-old Orlin Roussev, received a sentence of 10 years and 8 months. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit espionage on behalf of the Kremlin.
