Top FSB general is ‘moved to high-security Moscow jail’ as Putin steps up purge of spies who ‘told him Ukrainians would welcome invasion’
- Sergei Beseda, head of the 5th Service of the FSB, was earlier under house arrest
- He has now been placed in pre-trial detention in notorious Lefortovo Prison
- The move will be seen as a warning to other senior aides of Vladimir Putin
A top FSB intelligence official has been moved to a high security jail in Moscow as Vladimir Putin purges his secret services over the botched Ukraine invasion, say reports.
Col-General Sergei Beseda, 68, head of the 5th Service of the Federal Security Service (FSB), was previously under house arrest.
He has now been placed in pre-trial detention in notorious Lefortovo Prison, suggesting he will face major charges for intelligence failings, it is claimed.
Col-General Sergei Beseda (pictured), 68, head of the 5th Service of the Federal Security Service (FSB), was previously under house arrest
The move will be seen as a warning to other senior Putin aides who are expected to take the blame for the huge Russian death toll in Ukraine.
Beseda’s case is being investigated by the Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee, said Russian intelligence expert Andrei Soldatov, who revealed the Lefortovo move.
Beseda, in charge of FSB intelligence and political subversion in the ex-USSR, had been on a trip to Ukraine shortly before he was detained.
Putin is said to fear that moles leaked invasion plans to the West, and Beseda was detained along with his deputy Anatoly Bolyukh, but had been held under house arrest until now. The current status of Bolyukh is unclear.
He has now been placed in pre-trial detention in notorious Lefortovo Prison, suggesting he will face major charges for intelligence failings, it is claimed
Putin is said to fear that moles leaked invasion plans to the West, and Beseda was detained along with his deputy Anatoly Bolyukh (above), but had been held under house arrest until now
The Russian leader had been convinced by secret services briefings that his troops would be welcomed by many Ukrainians, and achieve a speedy victory. In reality they have faced implacable opposition.
Lefortovo jail notoriously held political prisoners in the Soviet era and is routinely used to incarcerate suspected traitors.
Last month Putin also fired the deputy head of the Russian national guard.
Beseda had been a longtime trusted Putin secret services official, and was in his role as head of the 5th service of the FSB since 2009.
Russia has not confirmed his arrest or detention in Lefortovo.
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