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Russia’s FSB calls to extend arrest of Ukrainian accused of spying

Ukrainian national Roman Sushchenko faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty

Roman Sushchenko Russian Federal Security Service/TASS

Roman Sushchenko

© Russian Federal Security Service/TASS

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MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service has requested to extend the arrest of Ukrainian national Roman Sushchenko accused of spying in Russia, a spokesperson for Moscow’s Lefortovsky court said on Thursday.

"The court has received a petition on extending the restriction measure for Sushchenko in the form of detention in custody until January 30. The court hearing is scheduled for 12.00 on November 28," Yekaterina Krasnova said.

Sushchenko faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. The Ukrainian pleads not guilty to the charges.

Russia’s FSB earlier said that Col. Sushchenko, a staff member of the main intelligence department of Ukraine’s defense ministry, was detained in Moscow on September 30 "while on a spy mission." Sushchenko collected secret information on Russia’s Armed Forces and the National Guard and the disclosure could have undermined Russia’s defense capabilities, it said.

Lawyer Mark Feygin said his client is a reporter of the Ukrinform news agency in Paris and he came to Moscow on vacation to visit his relatives. The Ukrainian news agency confirmed this information saying that Sushchenko had been a staff member since 2002 and was "a journalist with a long-term impeccable professional reputation.".

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