The person whom the Lithuanian officer suspectedly supplied information to had served in the Soviet Union’s army for many years, had a rank of colonel and has served in a Soviet military unit stationed in Lithuania, the Second Investigation Department under the Defense Ministry reported.
“During a secret operation involving officers of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau and the Second Investigation Department on Dec. 29 last year, two persons spying against the interests of Lithuania were detained – an officer of the Lithuanian Air Force and a person with the citizenship of Lithuania and Russia who, as we suspect, secretly received intelligence information from the Lithuanian army officer. (…) The detention operation is unique in the sense that it led to detention of an agent suspected of spying (the Lithuanian army officer) and also the person who suspectedly recruited the Lithuanian officer,” reads the report published on Monday.
During the intelligence operation, the suspect visited Lithuania on a regular basis, owned real estate and other property here, maintained old friendships and made new friends with citizens of Lithuania and had other connections with Lithuania.
An investigation is currently conducted into the case.
According to the report, Russian military intelligence officers last year operated in Lithuania under the disguise of diplomatic activities, collecting information needed for Russia’s military planning.
“The information was collected at various events, conferences and diplomatic receptions. During the events, they aimed to get useful information from persons who, in most cases, did not suspect about being involved in intelligence interviews,” reads the document.
The department said a few of the alleged diplomats were forced to leave Lithuania.
According to the report, Russia’s military intelligence also targeted Lithuanian diplomats and aimed to collect compromising information about them.
“The recruiting actions were not only carried out against Lithuanian diplomats residing in Russia but also against Lithuanian diplomats residing in countries of the EU, NATO and the CIS who were in charge of military cooperation,” the department said in the report presented at the Lithuanian parliament on Monday.
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