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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Paul Whelan was handed over to Kremlin by FSB agent he thought was a friend - but who planted classified info on him: Former Marine travelled to Russia regularly for years and struck up friendships with soldiers over social media
2022-12-09
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] A sweet man, but perhaps a tad naive, despite being a Marine.
  • Paul Whelan, the US citizen imprisoned in Russia on spying charges, had been friends for 10 years with the FSB agent who handed him over to the Kremlin

  • The former Marine had been making regular trips to Russia, beginning in 2007, making contacts in the country's military through the social network VK

  • On one visit in December 2018, Whelan was found in a Moscow hotel room with a USB drive containing 'state secrets'

  • Whelan maintained that his friend, FSB officer Ilya Yatsenko, had set him up and that he was innocent

  • Following his arrest, Whelan was sentenced to 16 years hard time in a penal colony
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Posted by:Skidmark

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