News
Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has deported a Russian citizen, Andrei Zhuravlyov, on suspicion of collecting information for Russian security services to help prepare acts of sabotage, according to reports by local publications Postimees and Delfi. The move was made following a proposal from Estonia’s Internal Security Service (KaPo).
Estonian authorities allege that “persons acting in the interests and on behalf of Russian special services planned to use Zhuravlyov to collect intelligence information in Ida-Viru County.” KaPo said Estonia’s experience shows that such activities correspond with the preparatory stage of Russian sabotage operations. Zhuravlyov holds an Estonian residence permit but spent most of his time physically present in Russia.
The Insider was able to confirm that he was born in 1967 in the Estonian city of Narva and lived in Zelenogorsk outside St. Petersburg. In 2004, a criminal case was opened against him on suspicion of illegal acquisition or possession of drugs under Article 228 of Russia’s Criminal Code, and he was registered with Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service. In 2022 and 2023, he crossed the Russia-Finland border by car five times in both directions. Leaked database records also contain information about his numerous crossings on foot at Ivangorod, a border crossing between Estonia and Russia.