Estonia and Russia have exchanged convicted spies – RBC

A member of the Estonian special services Aston Kohver. Archival photo

Photo: RIA Novosti

A member of the Estonian special services Aston Kohver convicted in Russia on charges of shponazhe, exchanged for the former an officer of the Security Police of Estonia Aleksei Dressen, serving a sentence for the transfer of Russian secret data, according to Public Relations Center of the Federal Security Service of Russia.

«September 26, 2015 at a border checkpoint” Kunichina mountain “in the Pskov region on the bridge over the river Piusa there was an exchange of the Estonian special services Aston Kohvera convicted in Russia of spying for Aleksei Dressen, a former officer of the Security Police Ministry of Internal Affairs of Estonia, was serving a sentence for passing classified information of the FSB of Russia “, – said the DSP FSB, quoted by Interfax.

Aston Kohver was sentenced to 15 years in colony August 16, 2015. He was found guilty of espionage, smuggling, illegal possession of weapons, as well as in nine episodes of illegal crossing of the state border.

Kohver was arrested in September 2014. According to Russian authorities, it happened in the Pskov region, clarified that when it discovered the special equipment for covert recording, the gun “Taurus” of ammunition and € 5 thousand.

However, the Estonian side, insisted that the police officer abducted at the border post during the performance of official duties. Demanding the release of Kohvera made by the EU and the US State Department. Estonian police itself during the trial has not pleaded guilty. Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves called him a hero. “He is a true hero. When one morning, goes to work, saying goodbye to his family, and after 24 hours is in Lefortovo prison in Moscow, but continues to demonstrate its commitment and sense of humor, a good man, “- said the president of Estonia.

Aleksei Dressen was arrested in Estonia in 2012, at a time when she was not working in the security services. Before retirement, he since 1993 has worked in the Estonian Security Police (KAPO), he was accused of transferring classified information of the Russian FSB.

«During 20 years of work in the Estonian special service Dressenom was produced and delivered to Moscow a huge amount of valuable documents for covert operations the CIA and MI6 Britain against Russia from the position of the Baltic States “, – told Interfax a source in the Russian security services.

According to him, through the activities of the dress, were exposed agents of some foreign intelligence services operating in Russia, thwarted attempts by Western intelligence agencies recruit agents from among the senior Russian officials have become aware of the true customers of numerous anti-Russian actions in the Baltic countries.