Former Russian diplomat sentenced to 12 years for passing secrets to US intelligence

FSB said ex-diplomat Konovalov passed secret information to US intelligence for money

A court in Moscow ‍sentenced former Russian foreign ministry ‌employee Arseniy ‍Konovalov ‌to ⁠12 years in ​prison for passing secrets to US intelligence, Interfax reported on Friday ⁠citing The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Konovalov, "while on ‌a ⁠long-term foreign assignment in the United States, ... passed secret information that had come to his knowledge ⁠in the course of his duties in return for monetary reward on to ‍American intelligence," ​the agency reported citing FSB.

The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said that Arseniy Konovalov, born in 1987, had been found guilty of treason.

"It was established that AS Konovalov, an employee of the Russian Foreign Ministry, during a long-term foreign assignment in the United States, proactively transferred secret information to American intelligence for money," the FSB said in a statement.