An advisor to the head of Russia’s space agency, Ivan Safronov, has been detained by the Federal Security Service on suspicion of treason. Safronov was performing tasks for one of NATO’s intelligence services, requiring him to access confidential data about Russia’s military and technical cooperation as well as defense and security. Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, released a statement addressing Safronov’s arrest.
Roscosmos stated that the agency was providing assistance to the investigating authorities, adding that the detention was not related to his current work with the agency. Safronov’s lawyer claims that the charges stem from his previous work as a reported, however, a spokesperson for President Putin ruled out that possibility.
Read More: Russian space official arrested on suspicion of treason
