Russian national accused of illegally collaborating with a foreign state.
Robert Shonov is a Russian national who was employed at the U.S. Consulate General in Vladivostok for over 25 years. After Russia ordered that the U.S. consulate be shut down in December 2020, Shonov began working at a company that compiles summaries of Russian media reports for the U.S. embassy in Moscow.
The State Department said that Shonov’s work with the U.S. embassy complied with Russian law and should not have warranted arrest. “His being targeted under the ‘confidential cooperation’ statute highlights the Russian Federation’s blatant use of increasingly repressive laws against its own citizens,” a department official said. Shonov is currently being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, a place usually reserved for those accused of espionage and other serious crimes.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he oversees diplomatic efforts around the globe.
- For U.S. officials living and working in Russia as the relationship between the two nations grows more challenging.
Sources: Reuters, State Department
