Russia detains American in Moscow suspected of espionage

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Criminal case against suspected spy has been opened, Russia's Federal Security Service says in a statement. — File photo
Criminal case against suspected spy has been opened, Russia's Federal Security Service says in a statement. — File photo

Russia detained a United States citizen in Moscow accused of spying, the Federal Security Service (FSB) security service said on Monday.

It said in a statement that the American was detained on Friday “while carrying out an act of espionage” and that a criminal case had been opened.

The statement identified the American in Russian, using a name that appeared to translate as Paul Whelan. No other details were immediately available.

The arrest came with Russia embroiled in a number of spy scandals with the West, from the alleged poisoning by Russian agents of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England to the US conviction of Russian Maria Butina for acting as an illegal foreign agent.

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