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In Zabaykalsky Krai, a region in Eastern Siberia, a former freelance correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been detained. While the official statement does not name them, local media reports suggest this is 66-year-old journalist Aleksandr Andreyev from Chita, a major city in eastern Siberia. This was reported by Krym.Realii, citing information from the security services.
The charges:
The journalist is accused of treason. According to the FSB, the detainee allegedly sent information to the Security Service of Ukraine via Telegram—specifically, details about certain facilities that were later subjected to “computer attacks.” These reportedly include a local news outlet covering the war and a “critical regional infrastructure” site.
During a search, law enforcement seized the correspondent’s equipment and communication devices. Additionally, the FSB released a video showing the man’s detention: in the footage, officers display screenshots of the correspondent’s Telegram messages—in which he was merely expressing support for Ukraine.
Who is Aleksandr Andreyev:
The person believed to be detained collaborated with the Russian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in the early 2010s, producing materials for the programme “Correspondents’ Hour” and writing for publications such as Kasparov.ru and MBK Media. In 2014, he led the Chita branch of the “Western Choice” party, which was founded by opposition politicians Konstantin Borovoy and Valeriya Novodvorskaya, but the party’s registration was cancelled that same year.
What is known besides the official version:
The journalist’s detention was first reported by the outlet Chita.ru on 1 April—even before any official confirmation. According to their sources, searches were also conducted at the homes of two acquaintances of the detainee, including that of former Mogochinsky District head Dmitry Plyukhin, a human rights activist who in 2012 won an election against a candidate from United Russia.