Moscow Court Sentences Former Diplomat to 12 Years for Espionage Activities with U.S. Intelligence

A former employee of the Russian Foreign Ministry, who had served at one of the nation’s consulates in the United States, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Moscow court on Friday for allegedly supplying information to U.S. intelligence.

The Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) announced that Arseniy Konovalov was detained in March 2024 on suspicions of leaking classified data to American agents in exchange for financial compensation during his tenure at the Russian Consulate General in Houston, which lasted from 2014 to 2017.

Details regarding the specific information Konovalov is accused of sharing and the timing of the alleged exchanges have not been made public by the FSB. Some unverified reports in the Russian media suggest he may have been recruited by the CIA.

On Friday, state media released footage from the FSB showcasing Konovalov’s arrest in 2024, along with clips of his subsequent court appearances. Prior to this, Russian law enforcement had not disclosed any information related to his arrest or the accusations he faced.

The Moscow City Court convicted Konovalov of treason and imposed a sentence of 12 years in a maximum-security prison. He was also ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,200).