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Roscosmos advisor Safronov didn’t have secret information clearance — corporation head

The journalist is suspected of communicating confidential state data to a representative of one of NATO’s intelligence services, according to the law enforcers

Ivan Safronov (left) Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Ivan Safronov (left)

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Advisor to the director general of Roscosmos state corporation, Ivan Safronov did not have access to classified information during his tenure, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin told TASS Tuesday.

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Roscosmos advisor suspected of handing over confidential data to NATO

"He was invited to cover Roscosmos activities one and a half month ago. He did not have classified information clearance," Rogozin noted.

The Roscosmos chief underlined that he knew Safronov for a couple of years as a journalist who had a very good grasp of materials he published in Kommersant newspaper. "I did not doubt his high professionalism and personal decency," he added.

Rogozin is also confident that the investigation will solve this case.

The Russian Federal Security Service's (FSB) Center for Public Relations informed that Safronov is suspected of communicating confidential state data to a representative of one of NATO’s intelligence services and was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Prosecution launched criminal proceedings on the count of state treason against Safronov, which carries 20 years behind bars. The FSB added that the investigation continues. Earlier, Roscosmos clarified that the arrest is not linked to his current duties as Roscosmos advisor.

Safronov was born in Moscow in 1990. He graduated from Moscow’s Higher School of Economics in 2010, obtaining a degree in journalism. He worked as a special correspondent for Russia’s Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers and was covering military and military-technical cooperation as well as defense and space industries. In May 2020, Safronov was appointed advisor to the Roscosmos chief for information policy and was curating a number of Roscosmos programs.

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