Estonia: FSB was forced to 'evacuate' mole now in Russia
Arnold Sinisalu, the chief of the Estonian Internal Security Service, said events surrounding Uno Puusepp's escape to Russia began with the capture of FSB mole Vladimir Veitman.
Sinisalu said the spy web of FSB operative Nikolai Ermakov, handler for both Veitman and Puusepp, fell apart with the capture of Veitman. "His colleagues were, so to say, forced to evacuate agent Uno Puusepp to Russia.“
Security expert and politician Eerik-Niiles Kross said FSB gave Puusepp a choice: either help with Russia's propaganda mission or be extradited to Estonia.
Kross told Õhtuleht the Russian TV program that revealed Puusepp's mission while he was working at the ISS tried to show that despite the many losses Russian security services have suffered in recent years, they, not the Estonian side, are the real winners.
The Puusepp case, and probably also the kidnapping of ISS official Eston Kohver, are an attempt by the FSB to blacken the reputation of the Estonian security community, Kross said, as ISS and Estonia on the whole have received much praise from the West for their success in combating Russian security services.
Editor: J.M. Laats