Espionage

Former Austrian army colonel convicted of spying for Russia

A retired Austrian army colonel was convicted of spying for Russia for nearly three decades.

The 71-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was accused of giving Russia secret information about Austria's armed forces and their weapons systems from 1992 to 2018 in exchange for more than $300,000.

He was sentenced to three years in prison by a regional court in Salzburg on Tuesday. His trial took place behind closed doors over national security concerns.

The man denied he was a spy, saying he passed on publicly available information, but he did admit to being paid.

Austrian investigators suspected the colonel was recruited by Igor Zaitsev, a high-ranking Russian military intelligence officer for whom Vienna has issued an international arrest warrant.

Then-Austrian Defense Minister Mario Kunasek previously said the spying was exposed with the help of another European intelligence agency.