Latvia confirms detention of Estonian and Ukrainian citizens suspected of spying for Russia

In February, officers of the Latvian State Security Service (SSS) detained citizens of Estonia and Ukraine on suspicion of collecting classified information about critical infrastructure facilities, the Baltic portal reported.

On February 24, a criminal case was opened against both suspects under the article on espionage. According to this article, collecting secret information with the aim of transferring it to a foreign state or organization is considered a crime.

During the arrest, five cell phones, four drones, two cameras and a flash card were seized from the suspects. A forest camera installed to monitor a critical infrastructure site was also seized.

The SGB noted that both suspects had already been detained on February 12 in Estonia for using drones near critical infrastructure. In addition, one of the detainees was warned in Latvia last year against photographing critical infrastructure facilities without authorization.

Both suspects were taken into custody. The SGB said they were suspected of spying for Russia. Earlier, Estonian media reported that one of the detainees was Estonian citizen Mattias Rikka, who is fond of filming trains.