Russian diplomat sentenced to 12 years at penal colony for 'selling state secrets to US'

The court also ordered him to pay a fine of 100,000 roubles, equivalent to approximately £938.

According to the FSB, which oversees counter-intelligence operations in Russia, Konovalov was convicted of passing classified information to American intelligence services in exchange for payment.

The verdict comes during what civil society monitors have identified as an unprecedented year for such prosecutions in the country.

The former foreign ministry official served as second secretary at Russia's consulate general in Houston between 2014 and 2017.

Russian authorities detained Konovalov in March 2024, though neither his arrest nor the subsequent charges were made public until now.

State media broadcast FSB footage capturing the moment of his detention, showing the diplomat appearing visibly anxious as officers informed him of the allegations.

The video depicts him having his mobile phone confiscated before being handcuffed and interrogated inside a black vehicle.

Masked security personnel subsequently escorted him to a holding cell at Moscow's Lefortovo District Court.

The FSB declined to specify which US agency received the intelligence or what classified material Konovalov allegedly handed over.

Unverified claims circulating on Russian Telegram channels have suggested the CIA recruited him while he was stationed in Texas.

However, American intelligence agencies have not responded to the allegations.

The charges against Konovalov relate to activities that occurred years before Russia launched its full-scale military operation in Ukraine in 2022.

Such treason proceedings are typically conducted in secret in Russia, with details rarely emerging publicly until verdicts are delivered.

According to the civil society organisation Pervy Otdel, more than 470 individuals were convicted of treason, espionage and clandestine collaboration with foreign entities in Russia during 2025, establishing a new record.

Courts delivered guilty verdicts at a rate of nearly two per day during the first six months of the year, with a further 420 people currently facing investigation.

Human rights organisations have accused Moscow of weaponising such charges to suppress criticism, noting that penalties have grown harsher.

The median prison term in these cases increased from 12 to 15 years between 2024 and 2025.

Four defendants received life sentences this year, while three died whilst in custody. No acquittals were recorded.

Meanwhile, President Putin's former defence chief Colonel-General Yuri Sadovenko has suddenly died shortly after being ousted from his post.

The Ukrainian-born 56-year-old was said to have died of "heart disease", Russian state media reported.

However, no further details were given and there was no suggestion Sadovenko had any underlying health issues.

Earlier this year, Lieutenant-Colonel Buvaysar Saitiev, 49 – a former Russian MP and Olympic wrestling legend – died after plunging from a window in Moscow.