Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested a 55-year-old resident of Khabarovsk on charges of high treason under Article 275 of the Criminal Code, the agency's public relations center said. According to the FSB, the man independently established contact with a representative of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service.
Investigators allege the Khabarovsk resident, motivated by self-interest, transmitted information via email and messaging apps that could be used against Russia's security. The FSB said New Zealand intelligence was interested in data about Russia's military and military-technical cooperation with countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The suspect has been detained. Article 275 carries a penalty of up to life imprisonment. The FSB did not disclose the detainee's name or the exact date of the arrest.
Video released by the state news agency TASS shows people in camouflage and masks tackling a man to the ground on a street and searching his home. During the search, FSB officers displayed bundles of dollars allegedly found at the suspect's residence.
New Zealand is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which also includes the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia. This is the first known case of a Russian citizen being accused of cooperating with New Zealand intelligence.
According to the media outlet Sever.Realities, since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 1,100 people have been convicted in Russia on treason or espionage charges, at least 350 of them Ukrainian citizens. The human rights project First Department reported that in the first quarter of 2026, Russian courts handed down at least 107 verdicts in treason and espionage cases, involving 110 convicted individuals. The majority (90%) were convicted of treason, with an average sentence of 15 years and 5 months. On average, courts issued verdicts for two defendants each working day of the quarter.