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Estonian Citizen Exposed for Spying on Behalf of Russian Intelligence
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An Estonian citizen has been convicted of espionage on behalf of Russia. The Viru County Court found Ivan Dmitriev guilty of spying against Estonia and sentenced him to four years and eleven months in prison.
According to ERR on October 7, the indictment states that between March and May 2025, Ivan Dmitriev cooperated with Alexander Bobkov, an officer with the operational department of Russia’s FSB Border Service, supplying him with intelligence sought by Moscow. The FSB was particularly interested in information about members of the Estonian Defense League, the political climate and daily life in Narva—including details related to the Narva Castle Museum—as well as the movements of military personnel in the area.
State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas said Dmitriev was an active member of the “Light Officers” unit and carried out various tasks, including operating drones. His continued activities could have caused significant harm to Estonia’s national security. Evidence shows that he cooperated with the FSB for only two months before being detained by the Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO).
“Russia considers it important to gather all kinds of information it can about Estonia. The swift prevention of crimes against the state and the prosecution of individuals recruited by Russian intelligence services are part of national defenіe, especially in the current situation,” said State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas.
Taavi Narits, Deputy Director General of the Estonian Internal Security Service, confirmed that Dmitriev was detained when he was preparing to travel to Russia for a meeting with his handler after participating in military exercises, ERR reported.
“The recruitment of Dmitriev was a temporary success for the FSB, which was quickly ended by KAPO and the prosecutor’s office. We managed to prevent significant harm to national security by intervening early. One of the tasks of the Internal Security Service is counterintelligence within the Defense Forces and the Defense League, and this case is one of the results of that work,” Narits said.
He added that individuals connected to Estonia’s security structures—or close to them—who travel to Russia remain key targets for recruitment by Russian intelligence services.
The court also ordered Dmitriev to pay around $2,410 to the Estonian state to cover procedural costs. The verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed to the Tartu Circuit Court.
Earlier, it was reported that a man was arrested in Riga on suspicion of spying for Russia, accused of passing classified information about Latvian military facilities and NATO operations to Russian intelligence. Authorities allege that he had been illegally gathering and transmitting sensitive data to Moscow, and a criminal case has been launched.
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