Russian soldier and his brother are arrested on treason charges for allegedly sharing intelligence with Estonia

Federal agents in Smolensk have arrested a Russian soldier on charges of treason, a source in the Federal Security Service told the news agency TASS. Officials in Pskov also arrested the suspect’s brother, who has permanent resident status in Estonia. The Russian authorities reportedly believe the two brothers were sharing state secrets with Estonia’s intelligence community. Both men face between 12 and 20 years in prison, if convicted of high treason. As a matter of national security, their trial has been classified and closed to the public — a standard procedure in Russian treason prosecutions.

In late August, federal agents in Barnaul reportedly arrested a soldier in Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces for allegedly sharing state secrets with the Ukrainian intelligence community.