Estonian authorities arrest political science professor suspected of spying for Russia

The Estonian authorities have arrested a political science professor on suspicion that he was spying for Russia, the Estonian broadcasting network ERR reported on Tuesday, citing state prosecutors.

Vyacheslav Morozov is a Russian citizen who taught at the University of Tartu until earlier this month, when the school dismissed him after learning he was facing espionage charges. He was reportedly arrested on January 3 and is currently in state custody in Tallinn. State investigators have not released details about the case against him.

According to ERR, Morozov worked at St. Petersburg State University until 2020, after which he moved to Estonia. From 2016 to 2023, he served as a professor of E.U. and Russia studies at Tartu University, and from September 2023 until January 11, 2024, he was employed as a professor of international theory at the same institution.

Margo Palloson, the head of the Estonian Internal Security Service, said that Morozov’s case is “one more on a list of dozens” and that it “demonstrates the Russian intelligence services’ commitment to infiltrating various realms of Estonian life, including the academic realm.”