Key facts
- US journalist Evan Gershkovich claims his 2023 arrest in Russia was a planned sting operation by the FSB.
- Gershkovich was apprehended in Yekaterinburg after a source handed him papers detailing tank production.
- He believes the FSB had a backup plan to arrest him on a different reporting trip if the Yekaterinburg operation failed.
- Gershkovich was freed in a prisoner swap in August 2024 after being sentenced to 16 years in prison.
- The Wall Street Journal, Gershkovich, and the US government deny he was a spy.
US journalist Evan Gershkovich has described his 2023 arrest in Russia as an elaborate sting operation orchestrated by the FSB security service, according to an excerpt from his book published by The Wall Street Journal. Gershkovich recounted that during a meeting in Yekaterinburg, a source provided him with papers detailing tank production. As he took notes, masked FSB agents approached, leading to his arrest.
Gershkovich, who was the first US reporter arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War, stated that he and his editors had considered the risks of his reporting trip and agreed he should not accept any documents. However, the source insisted on handing him the papers. He noted that foreign correspondents traditionally enjoyed a degree of immunity, typically facing expulsion rather than arrest.