MOSCOW, October 27 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Lefortovsky District Court has extended until December 24 the detention of Jevgenijus Mataitis, a citizen of Russia and Lithuania who stands charged with espionage, RAPSI learnt in the court on Tuesday.

A permanent resident of Lithuania, Mataitis was arrested on June 24 by the Federal Security Service (FSB) in Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Region, on suspicion of treason (Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code).

According to the FSB, Mataitis, upon instructions from the Second Department of Operations of Lithuania’s Minister of Defense (military intelligence and counter-intelligence) purposefully collected military data about the Russian Armed Forces. If leaked abroad, this data could seriously damage Russia’s defense potential.

Lithuania’s Minister of Defense refused to comment on Mataitis’ confession, RIA Novosti reported on Friday citing spokesperson Asta Galdikaitė.