Foreign ministry: FSB Lätte video a 'masterful production'
The Ministry of Foreign affairs has called a video issued by Russian authorities purporting to show an Estonian diplomat based in St. Petersburg attempting to obtain classified information a 'masterful production'.
The ministry told daily Postimees Wednesday that: "The film depicting Mart Latte is a masterful production that clearly does not present the diplomat's work in an objective manner."
Lätte, who was one of three Estonian consuls based in St. Petersburg, was expelled from Russia in early July on charges of attempting to obtain classified Russian information, but that country's secret services, the FSB, only released the video footage showing his detention on Tuesday, in retaliation for Tallinn's expulsion of a Russian diplomat on July 15.
Russia also said Monday it will be expelling another Estonian diplomat, this time from the embassy in Moscow.
"The picture painted of the events is the one the [FSB] director wants to portray," the foreign ministry's statement continued, BNS reports
The FSB said Tuesday that Lätte had been trying to obtain information on Russia's Arctic policy.
The FSB footage, BNS reports, showed Lätte meeting with a Russian national with whom he is alleged to have discussed Russia's Arctic strategies. The footage cuts to Lätte being apprehended by the FSB and taken for questioning. He was subsequently expelled from Russia, on July 7.
Russia is one of eight member states of the Arctic Council.
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