A Russian court has handed down a 23-year prison sentence to Georgy Pirogov, a man convicted of espionage for Poland, in a case that underscores the Kremlin's intensifying crackdown on alleged foreign agents. The verdict, announced by the Federal Security Service (FSB), came just one day after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that Warsaw had thwarted a Russian-backed assassination plot on its soil.
The FSB alleged that Pirogov left Russia shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, made contact with a representative of Polish military intelligence in April of that year, and subsequently collected and transmitted classified information about Russian weapons systems used in the war. The agency did not provide evidence or explain how Pirogov returned to Russia, nor did it specify the circumstances of his detention.
Independent Russian outlet Mediazona reported that Pirogov had moved to Georgia after the invasion and worked as an industrial climber. In the summer of 2024, he traveled to Uzbekistan on a business trip and then disappeared. It later emerged that he was being held at Moscow's Matrosskaya Tishina remand prison, though independent media said they did not know who detained him or how he was brought back.
The sentencing comes amid a broader pattern of espionage-related prosecutions in Russia, which have surged since the invasion of Ukraine. Treason laws have been expanded, and the maximum sentence for treason was raised from 20 to 25 years in 2022 and 2023. The FSB has also gained broader powers to detain and prosecute suspects without the same evidentiary standards previously required.
According to data cited by independent monitors, nearly 500 people, including Ukrainian citizens, were convicted on espionage and treason charges in Russia last year. The number of such cases was in the single digits annually before 2014, when Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea triggered a sharp increase.
Poland's counter-intelligence success
On Thursday, Prime Minister Tusk announced that a Russian citizen had been detained on 7 August on suspicion of preparing an assassination in Warsaw. Tusk said Russian security services had recruited the suspect, and that the Kremlin had chosen the intended target because it viewed him as a threat. "He was inconvenient from the point of view of Putin's regime," Tusk said, declining to name the target due to legal restrictions.
Polish authorities have been increasingly vigilant against Russian espionage activities. The country has expelled Russian diplomats and closed the Russian consulate in Kraków over espionage concerns. Poland has also become one of Ukraine's most significant military supporters, providing weapons, ammunition, and training, and hosting a large US military presence.
The timing of the two announcements—the Russian sentencing and the Polish foiled plot—highlights the tense security environment across Europe. NATO has recently condemned Russian airspace violations over Poland and Romania, and NATO jets have intercepted Russian-linked drones in the region.
Pirogov's trial, which opened in May, was held behind closed doors. The FSB claimed he used contacts in Russia's defense industry to obtain restricted information on missile systems and the personal data of individuals with access to state secrets. The indictment also alleged that he made cryptocurrency transfers to support Ukraine's armed forces and organized the delivery of equipment from Poland to Ukraine.
Human rights advocates have criticized such trials as politically motivated, noting that the lack of transparency and the broadened legal definitions make it difficult to assess the validity of the charges. The case also reflects the growing use of espionage prosecutions as a tool of state control, a trend that has drawn international concern.
For Poland, the foiled plot is a reminder of the persistent threats it faces from Russian intelligence. The country has been a key transit point for Western military aid to Ukraine, and its strategic location makes it a prime target for Russian covert operations. The Polish government has responded by strengthening its counter-intelligence capabilities and cooperating closely with allies.
As the war in Ukraine continues, the espionage battle between Russia and European nations is likely to intensify. The sentencing of Pirogov and the foiled assassination plot in Warsaw are just the latest episodes in a broader conflict that extends beyond the battlefield.
