Russia puts senior spy leader under house arrest amid Ukraine invasion woes

'Putin has finally understood that he was misled,' security investigations outlet Agentura editor Andrei Soldatov said.

The New Arab Staff
12 March, 2022

The FSB is a Russian spy agency [ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty-file photo]


Russia has reportedly put a senior intelligence leader on house arrest, indicating President Vladimir Putin may be looking to place the onus for Moscow's woes in invading neighbouring Ukraine on spy and military officials.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) is an internal spy agency in Russia, though Sergey Beseda is in charge of the body's foreign operations.

He and his second-in-command, Anatoly Bolyukh, were detained, an expert cited by The Times on Saturday said.

FSB sources verified the two intelligence officials were arrested, according to security investigations outlet Agentura editor Andrei Soldatov. Rights campaigner Vladimir Osechkin also verified the men were arrested.

Osechkin said the FSB additionally searched over 20 properties in the Moscow area belonging to employees suspected to be communicating with the media.

The Russian, who lives in France, explained: "The formal basis for conducting these searches is the accusation of the embezzlement of funds earmarked for subversive activities in Ukraine.

"The real reason is unreliable, incomplete and partially false information about the situation in Ukraine."

Beseda's arrest shows Putin is increasingly angry with the country's spy apparatus and feels they have given "incorrect information" on Ukraine, according to Soldatov.

"Putin has finally understood that he was misled," he said.

One Western figure indicated that Beseda and Bolyukh have been key in Russia's espionage efforts on Ukraine over the past years, arguing they were probably significantly involved in planning Moscow's incursion into its neighbour.

"If claims of arrest are correct, this would indicate that Putin is seriously concerned about the FSB’s role in the military campaign and there could be significant changes at senior levels in the FSB," the Western source added.