Russian security forces said Tuesday they had detained Estonia's consul to Saint Petersburg for allegedly receiving classified documents, the latest in a series of espionage cases between Moscow and the West.
The FSB security service said consul Mart Latte was "caught red-handed while receiving classified documents from a Russian national" and detained for activities "incompatible with the status of a diplomatic worker" and "openly hostile" to Russia.
"Measures will be taken against the foreign diplomat in accordance with the rules of international law," said the statement, provided to Russian news agencies.
No further details were provided and there was no immediate reaction from Estonia.
The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which were ruled by Moscow during Soviet times, are EU and NATO members and among the fiercest international critics of Moscow.
Russia and Western countries have engaged in a series of diplomatic expulsions and exchanged espionage claims since the start of this year.
(Published 06 July 2021, 16:47 IST)
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