FSB: Safronov transferred data about the GRU satellite constellation to the Czech Republic and Germany

FSB: Former adviser to the head of Roscosmos transferred data on the GRU satellite constellation to the Czech Republic and Germany

Former adviser to the head of Roscosmos, Ivan Safronov, transferred to a Czech citizen data on Russian military satellites that worked primarily in the interests of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. This was announced by the Deputy Head of the 1st Department of the Investigative Directorate of the FSB of Russia, Alexander Chaban. He voiced this information in Eduard Petrov’s film “The Safronov Case,” aired on the Vesti and Rossiya 24 TV channels.

He also clarified that Czech intelligence began recruiting Ivan Safronov in 2012, and closer to 2013, the first assignments began to be transferred to him. The FSB considers Czech citizen Martin Larysh to be Safronov’s curator and recruiter.

According to the Federal Security Service, the former adviser to the head of Roscosmos received at least 12 assignments from Czech intelligence. The minimum remuneration amount was 80 thousand euros. Safronov transmitted information through hiding places during trains to Europe that suddenly became frequent, mainly to the Czech Republic, in the period from 2013 to 2019.

Ivan Safronov previously wrote on military topics and about space in the newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti. In May 2020, he was appointed to the position of adviser to the head of Roscosmos. In July 2020, Safronov was detained. He was later charged with treason. The former adviser to the head of Roscosmos was sentenced to 22 years in prison in a maximum security colony.