Estonia jails university professor from Russia for spying for Moscow

A university professor was jailed Tuesday in Estonia after being found guilty of spying for Russia.

Viacheslav Morozov, a Russian citizen, taught at the Baltic country's most prestigious university and was sentenced to six years and three months in prison for collecting information about Estonia's defense and security policy and the people and infrastructure related to it, Harju County Court said.

The Baltic nation, which borders Russia, has recently seen a rise in sabotage, electronic warfare and spying , all blamed on Moscow. Morozov was arrested in January and accused of being involved in intelligence activities which undermined Estonia's security.

The former professor at the University of Tartu held meetings in his home country with his Russian handlers “with some regularity," Margo Palloson, director of Estonia's Internal Security Services said when Morozov was arrested.

According to the indictment, Morozov was also found guilty of providing Russia with information on Estonia's political situation and relations with allies including European Union and NATO members.

Estonia has a large Russian-speaking population and court documents said Morozov also provided Moscow with information on the situation involving integration in the country.

Estonian officials said Morozov was recruited as a spy by Russian special services several years ago and was on Moscow's payroll.

“The current case is an addition to more than twenty previous ones and illustrates the desire of the Russian intelligence services to infiltrate various areas of Estonian life, including the scientific sector,” Palloson said when Morozov was arrested.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told The Associated Press in May that Russia is conducting a “shadow war” against the West and said she wanted to see a tougher response.

Political relations between Russia and Estonia, a country of 1.3 million that is a member of the European Union and NATO, have remained icy since 1991, when the small Baltic nation regained its independence from the former Soviet Union.

The University of Tartu is Estonia’s largest and oldest, established in 1632. Morozov has been associated with the university since 2010. He worked there as a professor of EU-Russia studies between 2016-2023 and as a professor of international political theory until his detention.

The Estonian university terminated his contract after he was arrested.

According to information on his Facebook page, Morozov is a political scientist and a former associate professor at Saint Petersburg State University, one of Russia’s renowned academic institutions.