MOSCOW, August 4 (RAPSI) – The Supreme Court of Russia on Wednesday upheld the 13-year prison sentence given to ex-employee of an operator of the Northern Fleet’s ships Yury Yeshchenko for cooperating with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the court’s press service told RAPSI.

In November 2020, the Bryansk Regional Court found the defendant guilty of treason. During the trial Yeshchenko pled guilty.

According to case papers, Yeshchenko working in the organization engaged in the maintainance of the Northern Fleet vessels’ radioelectronic systems in the town of Severomorsk decided to transfer information on the advanced developments of Russia’s defense industry to the U.S. intelligence bodies.

Between 2015 and 2017, he intentionally copied secret documents concerning weapon systems used by the North Fleet. In early 2019, he contacted with the CIA. In July 2019, he was arrested by the FSB in the Bryansk Region while attempting to transfer the classified data, the statement reads.