Romanian met a woman online, traveled to Russia - and was sentenced to 15 years in prison: "Ukrainian spy"
Two espionage cases in Europe: a Ukrainian citizen was arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia; a Reuters investigation reveals that the FSB allegedly staged the arrest of a Romanian young man convicted of spying for Ukraine, months after he was already in custody.
Two separate espionage cases were revealed today (Thursday) in Europe, against the backdrop of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. In Germany, a Ukrainian citizen was arrested on suspicion of operating on behalf of Russian intelligence and gathering sensitive information about Europe's defense industries and NATO military installations. Meanwhile, an investigation by the Reuters news agency revealed how the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) allegedly staged the arrest of a Romanian young man convicted of spying for Ukraine, months after he was already in custody. At the center of the case is David Adrian Cârciu, a 23-year-old Romanian citizen who grew up in England, who traveled in 2024 to the Black Sea coast following a romantic relationship he had with a woman he met online. The trip ended with his arrest, his transfer to the Russian security service, and a 15-year prison sentence on espionage charges. Reuters investigators managed to locate the filming location of the staged arrest in a park along the Mzymta River in Sochi, by comparing details seen in the video with satellite images and archive photos. Cârciu claims that during his detention in Russia he was beaten, held in solitary confinement, and tortured. Reuters emphasized that it was unable to independently verify these claims.