Riga, Latvia — Latvian authorities have arrested a citizen accused of espionage for allegedly gathering sensitive information about the country's defense sector on behalf of Russia's GRU, a clandestine military intelligence service. The arrest, which occurred last month, follows raids conducted at two locations associated with the suspect.
Officials have withheld the identity of the suspect, who is accused of espionage and allegedly transmitting data concerning NATO forces stationed in Latvia. Additionally, the individual is said to have collected information related to private aviation infrastructure and the procurement of prepaid cellphone cards.
The Baltic nations, along with other European countries, have heightened their alert levels after a significant rise in unauthorized fighter jet and drone activities over NATO airspace in September. These actions have been interpreted by some European officials as potential probes by Moscow to assess NATO's readiness and response to such incursions.
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