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US hasn’t reached out to Russia about arrest of former consulate employee — Russian MFA

It was previously reported that Shonov was detained in Vladivostok by law enforcement agents with the support of the Russian Federal Security Service during a search effort

MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. US officials haven’t reached out to Russia about the arrest of the former employee of the US consulate in Vladivostok, Robert Shonov, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

"No US representatives or US diplomats have reached out to us about the matter," she said at a news conference, when asked whether US diplomats had been in contact with Moscow to discuss the arrest.

It was previously reported that Shonov was detained in Vladivostok by law enforcement agents with the support of the Russian Federal Security Service during a search effort. After questioning, he was charged with committing a crime provided for by Article 275.1 of the Russian Criminal Code (Confidential cooperation with a foreign state, international or foreign organization), which carries a punishment of up to eight years in prison. The person was taken to Moscow and placed in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention unit for further investigation.

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