Denmark ‘Mistaken’ With Russian Spy Charges, Moscow Says

A Russian national’s arrest on suspicion of espionage in Denmark is a mistake, Russia’s Embassy in Copenhagen told Interfax on Wednesday.

The unnamed Russian citizen is suspected of providing information about Danish energy technology to Russia’s intelligence service, Reuters quoted Danish public prosecutors earlier in the day.

“The Russian Embassy in Denmark considers the arrest of our compatriot and the charges of espionage against him a mistake,” Interfax quoted the diplomatic mission as saying.

“We expect the Danish justice system’s unbiased approach toward considering this case. We hope for an acquittal and the release of our compatriot,” it added.

Denmark has reportedly held the suspected Russian spy in custody since July 2020.

According to Interfax, Danish prosecutors intend to seek a prison term and deportation for the Russian national.

Denmark is at least the third Nordic country to accuse Russia of espionage in recent years. In August, Norway expelled a Russian diplomat following a spy scandal while Sweden detained, then released, in 2019 a naturalized Swedish citizen suspected of spying for Russia.

On Tuesday, Norway’s domestic spy agency blamed Russia’s Fancy Bear hacker group for a “brute force attack” on its parliament in August 2020.