UPDATE - Russia detains WSJ reporter on suspicion of espionage

ADDS STATEMENT FROM RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY, WSJ

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia on Thursday detained US citizen Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent, on suspicion of espionage, state media said.

"The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted the illegal activities of Evan Gershkovich, a US citizen born in 1991 ... who is suspected of spying in the interests of the American government," the FSB told the state-run TASS news agency.

"It was established that Evan Gershkovich, acting at the request of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. The foreigner was detained in Yekaterinburg while attempting to obtain classified information."

Investigators have initiated a criminal case against the US citizen under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code (Espionage), the report said.

- 'Nothing to do with journalism'

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova questioned Gershkovich's presence in Yekaterinburg, the fourth-largest city in Russia, saying what he was doing has "nothing to do with journalism."

"Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the status of a 'foreign correspondent,' a journalistic visa and accreditation are used by foreigners in our country to cover up activities that are not journalism. This is not the first well-known Westerner to be 'grabbed by the hand'," Zakharova said in a statement.

Separately, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow that Gershkovich was caught "red-handed." He said there are no obstacles for WSJ employees in Russia who conduct "normal journalistic activities."

The WSJ also commented on Gershkovich's detention, saying it "vehemently denies" the allegations against him and called for his immediate release.