A Russian court has sentenced 40-year-old Dmitry Arkadyevich Shatresov to 17 years in prison for high treason, accusing him of passing classified information to a US intelligence representative, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Thursday, January 23, 2025.
According to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Shatresov allegedly obtained state secrets through illegal means and intended to transfer them to American intelligence. His trial was held behind closed doors, a standard procedure for treason cases in Russia.
Shatresov, who lived near Moscow and worked in logistics, was sentenced on Wednesday. Court footage showed him in a blue hooded sweatshirt inside a defendant’s cage, attempting to shield his face from cameras. His lawyer declined to comment, and the U.S. embassy in Moscow has not yet responded to the case.
Treason and espionage prosecutions in Russia have surged since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to Pervy Otdel, a Russian lawyers’ association, at least 792 individuals have been charged with treason, espionage, or cooperation with foreign states since the conflict began.
