A Russian man has been given a prison sentence of 12.5 years on treason charges related to smuggling arms to the United States, according to state-run news agencies reporting Friday. The Federal Security Service (FSB) provided this information.
Sergei Kabanov was arrested in 2021, although the specific date of his detention has not been disclosed.
For two years, details of Kabanov’s case were kept secret as it involved classified information, and treason cases in Russia are handled behind closed doors.
According to Interfax, the FSB stated that Kabanov was accused of transporting components of Russian missile equipment “under the instructions of American special services.”
The Russian intelligence agency identified Victory Procurement Services, a contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense, as the recipient of the Russian arms components, which were allegedly transported through Latvia.
Kabanov was found guilty by the Tver Region Court, located northwest of Moscow, and was sentenced to 12.5 years in a maximum security prison.
Interfax quoted the FSB as saying, “The smuggling route for Russian surface-to-air missile systems and radar weapons to the enemy has been eliminated.”
