An Estonian court sentenced Viacheslav Morozov, a Russian professor at Estonia’s University of Tartu, to over six years in prison for espionage for Russia’s military intelligence, Associated Press reports.
Morozov was recruited in Russia in the 1990s and actively began espionage in 2010 upon moving to Estonia. He used his academic role to access valuable information, which he relayed to Russia, particularly after the Ukraine invasion. Morozov, who spied for 14 years until his January arrest, gathered information on Estonia’s defense and security policies. Estonian officials, wary of Russian threats, have convicted several spies in recent years.
Estonian Internal Security Service Director Margo Palloson highlighted the ongoing threat, warning against travel to Russia due to aggressive recruitment tactics by Russian spy agencies. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas described Russia’s actions as a “shadow war” against the West. This year alone, Estonia has arrested 13 people for attacks linked to Russian intelligence.
