Russia yesterday hit back angrily at US claims that it had smashed a Moscow-organized spy ring, warning the spat could damage efforts to improve relations.
US authorities said 10 “deep-cover” suspects, accused of infiltrating policymaking for the Kremlin, had been detained for seeking details of US nuclear weapons and foreign policy.
Five of the accused appeared in court in New York on Monday and some of the suspects are apparently Russian nationals. According to US documents, the spy ring had been under FBI surveillance for a decade.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the spy allegations made by the US Department of Justice. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demanded an explanation of the charges.
“In our opinion, such actions are groundless and pursue unseemly aims,” a foreign ministry spokesman said. “In any case, it is highly deplorable that all of this is happening against the background of the reset in Russia-US ties announced by the US administration itself.”
The arrests on Sunday in four northeastern US states came only three days after US President Barack Obama described his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev as a “solid and reliable partner” at a White House summit.
“They did not explain what the matter is about. I hope they will,” Lavrov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying during a visit to Jerusalem.
“The moment when it was done has been chosen with a special finesse,” he said with apparent sarcasm.
Meanwhile, Cypriot police yesterday said they had arrested a Canadian man wanted in connection with the alleged spy ring as he was about to board a flight to Budapest.
Christopher Robert Metsos, 54, was arrested at Larnaca Airport after immigration officers discovered his name on a stop list.
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