Russia-Ukraine war: Slovenia arrest two men suspected of spying for Russia

Authorities in Slovenia have reportedly arrested two men for the suspicion of spying for Russian intelligence. If convicted, the two men face a prison sentence of up to eight years.

Slovenia’s Delo newspaper reported on Monday that the country’s security service arrested two men for suspicion of spying for the Russian GRU military intelligence service. The suspects operated under assumed identities from a rented office in the Bezigrad district of the capital Ljubljana. One of the suspects holds citizenship in a South American country. Both have been charged with espionage and using false documents.

The Slovenian intelligence agency said the information the suspects gathered was considered “classified” and thus could not make the information public or make any public comments.

“The Agency regularly informs the main bodies of the national security system on intelligence activities carried out by foreign entities and cooperates…closely with Slovenian security authorities as well as with EU and NATO authorities and services,” said the agency in an emailed response to Reuters.

Also, on Monday, the United States said it would not provide Ukraine with the F-16 fighter jets that Kyiv has sought to obtain as the war approaches its first year. US President Joe Biden was pressed on whether Washington would provide Ukraine with the fighter jets, and the US leader said, “No.”

Biden’s response follows comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying that Russia was exacting revenge for Ukraine’s resistance to its invasion through offensives in eastern Ukraine. Zelenskyy has previously warned that Russia plans to ramp up its assault on Ukraine after a two-month deadlock in the front lines of the south and the east.

Despite Washington’s refusal to provide Ukraine with F-16 jets, Ukraine still obtained pledges from Germany and the US to provide battle tanks, especially the German-made Leopard tanks.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Russia was wrong to invade Ukraine but stopped short of condemning the continued aggression during his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, marking the third time Scholz has failed to rally support from other allies in the West.

“I think Russia made the classic mistake of invading another country’s territory, so Russia is wrong,” Lula told reporters. “But I still think that when one won’t, two won’t fight. You have to want peace.”