Dmitry Fedotkin, Aeroflot’s station manager in the United Kingdom, was arrested by the Russian authorities on suspicion of passing secret information to the British intelligence services.
The manager was arrested by Russia’s special security services at Aeroflot’s headquarters in Moscow, on November 11, 2020. The arrest was ordered by the Lefortovo court, a district of Moscow. Citing an anonymous source, local news agencies report that Fedotkin allegedly passed information to the MI6, UK’s foreign intelligence service, pertaining to the social and political situation in Russia. However, the source says the executive had no access to any state secrets.
Fedotkin, who has been working for the national carrier for over 16 years, denied the allegations and will appeal the decision. If the manager was to be charged with high treason for issuing state secrets to a foreign state or international organization, he could face up to 20 years of imprisonment.