Media: Austrian army colonel detained on suspicion of spying for Russia
The Austrian special services detained a colonel of the Austrian Army who is suspected of spying for Russia for 20 years, the Austrian Kronen Zeitung reported on Friday with reference to the Austrian Defense Ministry.
According to the newspaper, the Austrian special services investigate the case of the 70-year-old retired colonel who, since the late 1990s, allegedly transferred to the Russian military intelligence information on the migration crisis, the Austrian military aviation and artillery systems. According to the newspaper, the colonel from Salzburg received about €300 thousand for his services.
“We are glad we managed to stop the suspect,” announced the Austrian Defense Ministry.
According to the news report, every two weeks the Austrian man used to establish contact with the Russian special services liaison named “Yuri” and passed classified documents to him.
As the Austrian Army Counterintelligence Service noted, the colonel stopped his espionage activity after Russians warned him that he had been exposed by the Austrian intelligence.
The Austrian Prosecutor’s Office indicted the retired colonel of working for foreign military intelligence. The suspect may be sentenced to two years in prison.