Headlines
Russia jails romanian citizen for 15 years for spying for Ukraine
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 5, 2026
1 min readLast updated: March 5, 2026
Quick Summary
A Romanian man was convicted by a Russian court in Krasnodar on March 5, 2026, for espionage on behalf of Ukraine and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The accused had allegedly spied on air defense facilities, as reported by Russian authorities.
Russia jails Romanian citizen for 15 years for spying for Ukraine
Romanian Man Sentenced for Espionage in Russia
MOSCOW, March 5 (Reuters) - A Romanian man was convicted of spying for Ukraine and sentenced by a Russian court on Thursday to 15 years in prison, the court in the southern region of Krasnodar said.
Details of the Conviction
In a post on Telegram, the court's press service said the man, who it named as Adrian-David Chercio, had gathered and passed to Ukraine information on air defences in the coastal resort city of Sochi.
Alleged Espionage Activities
It said he had agreed to work for Ukraine in November 2024, but did not say when he was arrested.
Official Responses
There was no immediate comment from Romania's foreign ministry.
(Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Key Takeaways
- •Russian FSB had previously arrested a Romanian citizen in Sochi in April 2025 for gathering data on air defense systems for Ukraine, accused of acting on Ukrainian intelligence directions (tass.com).
- •Espionage convictions in Russia have become increasingly frequent since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, often resulting in lengthy prison terms for those accused of aiding Ukraine (apnews.com).
- •The case underscores strained Russia–Romania–Ukraine relations, amid broader regional tensions, including past detentions and diplomatic retaliations between Moscow and Bucharest (apnews.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Russia jails Romanian citizen for 15 years for spying for Ukraine
1Who was sentenced by the Russian court for spying?
A Romanian citizen was sentenced by a Russian court for spying for Ukraine.
2How long is the prison sentence given to the Romanian citizen?
The Romanian citizen was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
3Which Russian region handled the espionage case?
The case was handled by a court in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia.
4What was the Romanian citizen convicted of?
He was convicted of spying for Ukraine.
