Viru County Court convicted Igor Lobin in a plea agreement, following charges by the Office of the Prosecutor General of engaging in intelligence activities directed against the Republic of Estonia and supporting such activities.

He was sentenced to five years in prison.

The court found that Lobin knowingly established a relationship with the FSB and, since 2017, collected and transmitted information to the FSB about Estonia's national defense, internal security, and political situation.

The Prosecutor's Office said Lobin acted for an "extended period" as a tool of Russia's influence operations aimed at division. 

The FSB is interested in information about defense-related sites, the personnel and activities of law enforcement agencies, and the exercises of the Estonian Defense Forces and Defense League, the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on Thursday.

It also targets information on the transition to Estonian-language education, the crisis preparedness of vital service providers, and individuals active in society, it added.

State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas was quoted as saying: "Collecting information for Russia's special services and assisting them is directed against Estonia's security. Therefore, cooperation with any Russian intelligence agency threatens Estonia's constitutional order. Collaboration against Estonia with Russia is punishable, and any crime against the state can result in years of real imprisonment."

Taavi Narits, deputy director general of the Internal Security Service (ISS/KAPO), said the case is similar to others the agency has seen.

"This case shows us once again the familiar handwriting of the FSB, highlighting their usual methods and tactics for obtaining information from Estonia and sowing division. Cooperation with Russian intelligence services will not remain a secret and will sooner or later receive a decisive response," he said in the statement.

The Prosecutor's Office said Russia's goal is to fracture societal cohesion in Estonia, the EU, and NATO member states. The aim is to undermine constitutional order, national security, and, if necessary, even territorial integrity.  

'Valued person'

Lobin was a lifelong vehicle inspection worker, who had no access to key decision-makers or state secrets and received only minimal compensation for his work fo the FSB, the Baltic Sentinel/Postimees writes.

His task was mainly to gauge what was happening in Narva and, more broadly, in local politics — who was pro-Estonian, who was pro-Russian, and who might be the next targets for recruitment.

This concerned not only politicians and officials, but also ordinary citizens who traveled to Russia or had relatives there.

"The FSB will face a few more failures yet," Narits promises, summing up the Lobin case: "It's a bit chilling that there are still people who hope for a repeat of the Donetsk and Luhansk scenarios. That will not happen. Narva will remain an Estonian city."

Read the rest of the article here in English.

Any offers of cooperation from Russian intelligence must be reported to the Internal Security Service at kapo@kapo.ee.

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