Moscow Court Jails Man 23 Years for Spying for Poland

Aug. 14, 2026 Georgy Pirogov in court. FSB A judge in Moscow has sentenced a Russian man to 23 years in prison after finding him guilty of treason for allegedly spying for Poland, Russia’s FSB security service said Friday. Georgy Pirogov was handed the sentence along with a fine of 800,000 rubles ($9,500). The FSB’s statement, which was shared by state media outlets, came more than a month after the exiled news outlet Mediazona, citing an anonymous source, first reported the verdict in mid-July. According to independent media reports, Pirogov relocated to Georgia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine to work as an industrial climber. He vanished in July 2024 during a business trip to Uzbekistan and resurfaced days later inside Moscow’s Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention facility. Neither Russian nor Uzbek authorities have explained how Pirogov was detained or transferred across international borders. FSB video shared by the state-run news agency TASS on Friday showed Pirogov’s interrogation, during which he admitted to working with Polish intelligence. He was also shown being escorted into a courthouse and listening to his prison sentence being read. The FSB claimed Pirogov initiated contact with Polish military intelligence after fleeing Russia. Security officials accused him of using contacts in the Russian defense sector to collect classified data on advanced missile systems and gathering personal information on individuals with security clearances. The law enforcement agency further alleged that Pirogov made cryptocurrency transfers to the Ukrainian military and purchased and delivered ammunition from Poland to Ukraine. Read more about: Court cases , Treason , FSB Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Novosibirsk Court Jails 2 Hypersonic Researchers for Treason A judge sentenced Valery Zvegintsev and Vladislav Galkin to 12.5 years in prison each after finding them guilty of treason. 2 Min read Russian Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Passing Naval Intelligence to Ukraine Dmitry Levin was accused of providing information and photographs on the movements of Russian ships in the Black Sea. 1 Min read Moscow Court Jails IT Worker for Trying to Share ‘State Secrets’ With CIA Russia’s FSB claimed Firuz Dadoboyev illegally acquired information that was a “state secret” and planned to pass it to a U.S. intelligence officer... 1 Min read Russia Arrests Man Accused of Treason for Ukraine This is the latest in a string of treason or espionage cases linked to Ukraine, with trials often held behind closed doors and few details seeping through... 1 Min read