Ex-Foreign Ministry Worker Sentenced to 12 Years for Espionage in Moscow Court

On Friday, a court in Moscow sentenced a former employee of the Foreign Ministry, who had served at one of Russia’s consulates in the U.S., to 12 years in prison for allegedly sharing information with U.S. intelligence officials.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia reported that Arseniy Konovalov was apprehended in March 2024 on suspicion of leaking classified information to American intelligence agencies for financial gain while he worked at the Russian Consulate General in Houston from 2014 to 2017.

The FSB has not revealed the specific details of the information that Konovalov was accused of disclosing or the timing of the supposed interactions. Unverified reports in the Russian media have suggested that he was recruited by the CIA.

State media released footage from the FSB showing Konovalov’s arrest in 2024 along with his subsequent court appearances. Until now, Russian authorities had not informed the public about his arrest or the charges against him.

The Moscow City Court convicted Konovalov of high treason and imposed a sentence of 12 years in a high-security prison, as stated by the FSB. Additionally, he received a fine of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,200).