An Estonian court has sentenced a security guard working at the Koidula border crossing to three years in prison for passing information to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), authorities confirmed.
Vyacheslav Yefimov, 48, who holds both Estonian and Russian citizenship, was found guilty of secretly cooperating with Russian intelligence from 2022 to 2025. The Tartu County Court approved the sentence under a plea bargain. The verdict has not yet entered into force, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Yefimov lived in Russia’s Pechory region but worked in Estonia at the Koidula border crossing waiting area in Võru County. Investigators said he agreed to cooperate with an FSB officer in late 2022 and signed a contract committing to assist Russian intelligence operations.
During multiple meetings and communications via phone and messaging apps, Yefimov provided information about border checkpoint operations, staff, infrastructure, nearby facilities, and observations of equipment movements in the border area. Authorities said the information was requested by the FSB and used for intelligence purposes.
He was arrested in September 2025 after an investigation uncovered both espionage-related activity and a separate bribery scheme. Prosecutors revealed that Yefimov had also paid small bribes to another border employee to allow certain trucks to bypass queues.
Estonia’s Internal Security Service (ISS) said the case highlights that passing even non-classified information to foreign intelligence services is a criminal offense when done knowingly.
Officials confirmed that the investigation also identified the specific FSB officer responsible for recruiting agents in Estonia, calling it a significant counterintelligence success.
Authorities urged residents, especially those crossing the Russian border frequently, to report any attempts by foreign intelligence services to recruit or pressure them.