Estonia deports Russian citizen deemed national security threat
Estonia's Internal Security Service (KAPO) has deported David Arutyunyan, a Russian citizen deemed a threat to the country's national security.
Source: Estonian public broadcaster ERR, citing the KAPO in a statement, as reported by European Pravda
Details: KAPO spokeswoman Marta Tuul said Arutyunyan, who held a long-term residence permit, had come to the attention of the Estonian authorities for spreading historical narratives used in Russian propaganda.
He had sent greetings to colleagues in the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardiya) on Facebook, praising Russian military units as "peacekeepers".
"Arutyunyan voluntarily enlisted in the Russian military, currently serves in the reserves and actively displays his Russian military service and uniform on social media. He associates himself with a unit of the aggressor state and believes that Russia is conducting a 'special military operation' in Ukraine," Tuul said.
She added that Arutyunyan had previously been fined by Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board for wearing a Russian military uniform and disseminating symbols linked to war crimes.
Quote from the KAPO: "David Arutyunyan dreamed of joining the Russian army. But when it came time for deportation, he hid behind a mask. For security reasons, the ISS, together with the PPA, expelled Russian citizen and servicemember Arutyunyan from Estonia and issued him a Schengen-wide entry ban."
Background:
- On 7 October, Ivan Dmitrijev, an Estonian citizen, was found guilty of espionage and aiding intelligence activities by an Estonian court.
- Investigators had established that from March to May 2025, Dmitriev had passed information to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on instructions from Alexander Bobkov, an officer in the operations department of the border service.
- In early June, Estonia revoked the residence permit of another Russian citizen, Sergei Filatov, and deported him on national security grounds.
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