A court in Latvia has sentenced a man to five years and six months in prison for spying for Russia, prosecutors in Riga said on Tuesday.
The Latvian national was found guilty of passing information to Russian military intelligence, the GRU. He is said to have collaborated voluntarily for ideological reasons with the GRU between 2016 and 2025.
According to the prosecutor general's office, the man had illegally gathered information about Spilve airfield and the conditions for purchasing SIM cards for mobile phones in Latvia, on the GRU's instructions.
He had also reported directly to Russian military intelligence on subjects including: military and political developments in the country; support for Ukraine following Russia's attack; and NATO activities and developments in Latvia's defence sector. The authorities said this had endangered the security interests of Latvia, which borders Russia and its ally Belarus.
The convicted man has been in pre-trial detention since October 18, 2025. The person who directed the espionage had also been identified, and criminal proceedings had been initiated against them, the statement added.
